Gunfire
by doc-trigger
Summary: Gunfire booms at a bank, but will this rescue mission prove fatel? Chapter 23! We're getting into some deep issues now, so hold on. Sorry for the long wait.
1. Default Chapter

Hey, this is my first Static fic, so I hope you all like it.  
  
Gunfire  
  
The police radio signal came in loud and clear, waking up the occupant of the rough and uncomfortable chair. He let out a groan of disappointment when he saw that it was 5:30, meaning he had only gotten about half and hour of sleep, but at least he got his math done.  
Picking up the Shock Box, he groggily started talking into it.  
  
"Richie, meet me at that new Bank that opened up, looks like there's a robbery going on."  
  
Richie's voice came out of the box, just at tiredly as the previous one.  
  
"Okay, I meet you there in about ten minutes."  
  
Virgil chuckled, they were both supposed to be wide-awake, on patrol, and ready for anything. Instead, they were sleeping, and not finishing homework. At least, he hadn't finished, but knowing his friend, Richie was probably already done.  
  
Gear arrived at the back a good three minutes before Static, giving him time to assess the situation. There were bout ten police cars, two news station trucks, though, there were probably more the way, and five ambulances.  
He heard a gunshot fired from inside the building, which almost sent him flying to the ground. But before that happened, Static was by his side, looking just as worried as his partner.  
  
"What's going in there?" Gear looked questioningly at his friend, they usually just responded to bangbabies, but this was definitely different.  
  
"Looks like three guys tried to rob the place, and things got a little messy."  
  
"B...But it sounds like they have guns."  
  
"Yeah, I know," Static looked down at his feet, which lingered about twenty feet of the ground. "I heard that two people are dead in there, and a few injured."  
  
"So," said Gear, trying to piece together the problem at hand, "What we have here, are three guys with guns, two dead people, who knows how many people injured, and two heroes who are scared out of their boots about guns. Yeah, this is great!"  
  
"Yeah, I know, but we have to do this, right?" Static was beginning to doubt doing this, which scared him more then the guns, but is also scared Gear, who was counting on his friend to help him through this. They both had a bad experience with guns, but it had just occurred to Gear that, for once, Static wouldn't be able to just put his emotions aside to help others. This time, he had to help Static, his best friend. But Static just stood there, looking down at the bank, remembering talking to his mom when he had gone back in time to try and save here. And the different home movies he had watched with his sister and father of his mother laughing, and having fun. He had never been able to look at a gun, he hated them, and they had ripped his family into shreds. But now he remembered that his mother had died trying to save others, she was doing her job, and now, it was his turn to face the gunfire.  
  
"Look, Static, you're right, we have to do this." Gear, again, looked up at his friend, worry entangling his thoughts and emotions. Static was beginning to back away from the building again, but then stopped and looked at his friend.  
  
"Come on, let's go."  
  
"I...."  
  
"We have to."  
  
Static nodded in response to his friends reassuring voice, and slowly started his dissent with Gear right behind him. He soon started to speed up, and, as always, started up his electricity before blowing a hole into the ceiling. He made sure to do it quietly as to not scare the robbers.  
  
"What is this, what's going on!?" Screamed one of the robbers frantically. He was obviously under a lot of stress. He was sweating and breather hard, and was now waving his gun around dangerously.  
  
"Put the gun down, the cops have surrounded the place, there's no way you're going to be able to escape alive. If you give yourself up, nobody else will have to get hurt." Said Static, who was slowly and carefully getting closer to the floor.  
  
"Yeah, sure, that's what the f**'n cop said. Hostage Negotiator, calls himself, driving me nuts!"  
  
It was Gear's turn to talk. "What good is this going to do you, I mean, you either leave this building right now, turn yourself in, or let the SWAT team get you when you try and leave from the back or something."  
  
"We ain't going anywhere," Said a second one, who obviously wasn't as scared or worried as his friends. He spoke calmly t o the two heroes. " We're just trying to get some honest money for our families, that's all." He lifted the gun and aimed it one of the people lying on the floor, trying to keep safe. "So, if you don't mind, I'd like to finish up my work here." "Well, we do mind." Yelled Static, who was getting pretty frustrated.  
  
"Oh, well that's to bad, I was looking forward to not hurting you Static, and I really hoped it wouldn't come to that." He paused for a moment as he looked at his gun. "But maybe I won't have to kill you, maybe I'll spare you, and you're friend here too."  
  
Static could have easily gotten the gun, but he was scared that the man was too smart for that, and would shoot someone.  
  
The supposed spoke again. "Hey, Gear, you're good at hacking into things, why don't you get the banks password."  
  
"Never, not on my life."  
  
The man just shrugged, "Okay," was his reply as he starting circling, gun cocked, ready to shoot anyone, "then how about on...Static's!"  
  
The sound of the gunfire vibrated throughout the entire room.  
  
To Be Continued...... 


	2. Smoke

Hope you all like this chapter! Please r/r! Sorry it took so long, I didn't have any Internet, so I couldn't update.  
  
Smoke  
  
A lot of people tried to get even lower to the floor, throwing their arms over their heads, some screaming. But Gear didn't see or hear any of that, the only thing that penetrated his mind was Static, and the look on his face as he lay on the floor. Gear could see the pain etched o his face, and quickly ran over to his fallen friend.  
  
"Static, Static! You okay man?"  
  
"Yeah," Static managed to gasp out. He was holding onto his side, trying to block the pain out.  
  
Gear looked closer at his friend, and then noticed the blood on his hand.  
  
"He got you, here, let me help." Static was in too much pain to protest and willingly let Gear examine the wound. The minute Gear got a look at the it, he grimaced at the realization at how much his friend was hurting. He started to probe the wound, but instantly stopped when Static let out a gasp of pain. "Sorry."  
  
"It's okay..." Again, Static forced the words out, although that minor task left him breathless.  
  
"Now Static, you don't have to be so modest, we all know it hurts." Came the leaders mocking voice. Gear could tell the man was enjoying himself, and there was nothing he could do but try and help his friend. "Come Gear, help crack the password."  
  
"Let me help him first, then I'll do whatever you want."  
  
"No, I don't think I will. You get the password, then help him, or I can just shoot someone else, maybe even shoot Static again."  
  
"But...."  
  
"Go, I...I'll be okay." Static was now trying to sit up, but Gear quickly helped him lay back down at seeing his friend's face contort in pain at the effort.  
  
"Static, I..."  
  
"You better listen to you're friend, the faster you crack the password, that faster you can help him."  
  
Gear looked worriedly down at his friend, who seemed to be fighting desperately to catch his breath. The bullet had hit him in the abdominal area, and was lodged somewhere in there, but he didn't know where, and that really didn't help the situation.  
  
"Can't I just get backpack to do it?" Gear was trying desperately to come up with anything that would help them, would allow him to help Static.  
  
"No, I know how smart that thing is, it will call the cops at you're command, or whatever else you tell it to do, and I won't be able to monitor it. So I'd rather you do it, where I can keep an eye on you."  
  
Gear looked desperately from his injured friend, to the man that held the gun, held their fate. Looking at Static, he could see that the area of the uniform where the bullet had gone through was now shinning red, and so was the floor. He also noticed that Static was shivering, but it wasn't cold enough for that. He's in shock!  
  
Without giving the situation a second thought, he got up and took off Static's cape, and gently laid it over his friend.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?"  
  
"Keeping him warm until I can help." He paused and whispered quietly to his friend "Try and stay awake, okay? Please." He received a nod, and with that, Gear got up, casting a worried glance toward his friend before making his way to their captor.  
  
Cracking the password to this particular bank wasn't going to be easy. It was the newest thing in Dakota, and Gear hadn't had a chance to check out the security system, that was the first thing. The second, the bank had the newest money protection gizmos on the market, and not one ounce of information had reached him. So, there he stood, looking down at the controls, trying to figure out what to do.  
  
"Backpack, get down here and check for any obstacles we might get." Backpack climbed off it's owner's back and made it's way onto the control pad, giving Gear the time to give his friend, and his captor, another glance to make sure everything was all right. All right, what the hell am I thinking!? Everything is NOT all right! Gear screamed at himself. My friend is dying on the floor, I can't help him until I crack this stupid password and.... His captor cut him off before he could finish the thought.  
  
"What is that thing doing?"  
  
Gear looked down at his backpack and a small smile spread across his face, "He's got it." He replied triumphantly, but his joy was short-lived when he noticed that it had been and hour. A whole HOUR! Gear looked frantically down at Static and noticed that he couldn't see the pain on his friend's face anymore, couldn't even see the rise and fall of his chest. An hour was too long, and as Gear looked back at the screen, he noticed that the bank had more then one password to crack.  
  
He went back to work, this time letting backpack work along side him instead of by itself. His fingers moved quickly and efficiently on the keyboard, eye's scanning the screen for any hints of a breakthrough. The time seemed to drag on forever, as sweat poured down his face, Gear didn't allow himself to look at the clock, for he feared that if he did, then he would realize that all hope was lost.  
  
"What's taking to long!" Screamed one of the frantic partners. He raised his gun and aimed it at Gear before firing the shot. Gear could feel the bullet his arm, and after a few seconds of pain, he looked down to find that it had only grazed him. Gear looked back up at the leader of the trio who indicated for him to continue.  
  
Gear did, but this time allowed backpack to do most of the work again, knowing that if he put too much pressure on his arm, it would bleed more, and if it bled more, then he would need more bandages to make it stop, and Static needed them more then he did.  
  
"It's about time. I thought you would have finished two hours ago. Guess you're not as smart as you thought." The man laughed at the look on Gear's face, it was a mix of horror and worry.  
  
"T...Two hour's ago?"  
  
"Yep, you've been working on that thing for about three hour's and thirty- five minutes."  
  
"What!" Gear raced to his friend, expecting to find him dead. As he got closer, he could see that the cape was glowing red. "No." Gear whispered to himself. Looking down at Static, he again realized that there was no rise and fall of his chest to indicate that he was breathing. He quickly checked for a pulse, and was relieved to find it, but it was weak and barely there. "I thought I told you to stay awake." Gear murmured under his breath at Static.  
  
Taking off the cape that he had lain on his friend, he started tearing it into strips. Then he tore into two equal pieces and gave half of it to backpack, so he could finish faster. Once he had torn about a fourth of it, he ripped off Static's shirt and started applying the so- called bandages. There was no reaction from his friend as he tightened them to put pressure on the wound.  
  
It took him about twenty minutes to finish before he checked for a pulse again, just to make sure nothing had changed. But to Gear's horror, it had, and so very much. There was no pulse, and the skin that he touched was almost like ice, Static's lips where even turning purple. Why didn't I notice that before!? Gear started CPR, repeating the question in his head, trying to figure out why he hadn't done anything earlier.  
  
After his third try, Gear was relieved when he was rewarded with cough from his friend. Static's eyes flickered open and looked around at his surroundings.  
  
"Hey, it's okay man, everything's going to be all right." But Gear couldn't get any further as his friend's eye's closed once more and didn't reopen. "Static, Static!" But there was no response, no indication that Static was still conscious. Gear looked frantically around before realizing that the three gunmen where no longer there, and each pair of eye's in the building was trained on him. Well, all pairs but one.  
  
Gear stood up after making sure that Static was as comfortable as possible. "Okay, I'll go out there and tell the cops that the burglars are gone. Is anyone here hurt, if so, raise you're hand and I'll get help in here for you." Gear counted fourteen pairs of hands, but then two people stood up.  
  
"My husband is dead." Said one of the women, tears streaming down here face.  
  
"My daughter was just shot in the head." Said one of the elderly men, but there where no tears, he just looked strait ahead. Gear noticed that he too, was in shock.  
  
"I...I'll be right back" Gear started walking toward the door, then running. He opened the doors of the bank as a great big gust of wind hit his face, but he didn't care as he started yelling at the top of his lungs. "There are fourteen civilians down, and two are dead. I think there are people in there that are in shock!" He paused for a moment before continuing, " Static has been shot."  
  
Now, thirty paramedics ran into the building, carrying fifteen stretchers, after them, ran another ten or so paramedics. Gear followed them in and led one of the pairs toward Static.  
  
"He was shot in the abdominal area, I tried to bandage it, but I'm not quite sure if it did that much good. He was shot about three in a half hours ago."  
  
One of the paramedics placed a breathing mask on Static's face before helping his partner loud him onto the gurney.  
  
"You might have just saved his life, but we won't be sure until the doctors get him into an operating room. Tammy, can you take Static to the rig while I talk to Gear?"  
  
"Sure thing, but if you don't get there in the next three minutes, I'm leaving without you."  
  
"No problem." He replied to his partner before turning his attention back to Gear. "You okay?" He asked worriedly, but at seeing to confused look on Gear's face, he motioned to the graze on the young hero's left arm.  
  
"Oh, that, yeah, I'm fine."  
  
"Well, I think you better get that checked out, come on, lets get out of here before the press gets a chance to get in here." He started to walk, but stopped when he saw that Gear wasn't going. "Come on, you're friend needs you."  
  
Your friend needs you, yeah, sure, he needed me before, he needed my help, and I didn't help. What kind of a friend am I? I'm the one who got him to go in here, I encouraged him.  
  
"N...No, I better stay here, make sure everything's fine."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
With that final answer, the paramedic rushed off, back to his partner.  
  
"And don't take off his mask!" Gear called after him, and at receiving a thumbs up, he turned around to face the cops who where waiting to question him about the events that had gone on inside the building.  
  
*****************************  
  
Gear looked down on his friend, then at all the different monitors that where making the different variety of sounds, but where also keeping Virgil alive. He allowed himself to sit down on the visitor's seat and let out a deep sigh.  
  
"I'm going to have to tell you're dad V," Started Richie as he looked back down on his friend, whose mask was still on. "He's going to be worried when you don't show up for supper. Then again, you already missed desert." Richie let himself giggle, neither of them would ever miss out on desert. " You know, I might even have to tell my parents, since I'm thinking that they'll start getting suspicious when I start wearing long-sleeve shirts to cover up that bullet wound, especially since it's summer. But I won't have to tell them today, they think I'm staying at you're house, remember V?" He was still wearing his uniform, and at that previous statement, he put his mask back on and got up. "I need to go, to tell you're dad, I'll tell my parent's later."  
  
He made his way to the door, and after a last glance toward his friend, left the room.  
  
*************************  
  
The knock on the door startled the man on the couch, who was staring worriedly at the blank t.v. screen. He got up and made his way toward the door, and looked through the peeking whole in the door. He wasn't expecting anyone, and so wanted make sure it was someone he knew. He was surprised when he saw that the person on the other side of the door was Gear.  
  
He opened the door to allow the hero in, and was quite worried when he saw the expression on the man's face.  
  
"What...." He couldn't get any further before Gear cut him off.  
  
"Mr. Hawkins, I need to talk to you." Gear hesitated as he waited for the man's response.  
  
"What is it, is it about Virgil?"  
  
"Well, yes."  
  
"What is it, did he get into trouble, is he all right?"  
  
"Well, no, to both questions, Mr. Hawkins, I'd like to show you something." He allowed the information to sink in before moving toward the t.v. He picked up the remote and flipped on the news station and instantly saw himself waiting for Static to arrive at the bank. "Mr. Hawkins, do you know who that it?" He asked pointing to himself on the screen, "Do you know who he really is?"  
  
"N...No, what does that have to do with Virgil?"  
  
Gear sighed as he looked down at the floor before placing both hands on his mask and lifting it off his head.  
  
"R...Richie?" Mr. Hawkins sat down on the sofa. "B..But you're always with Virgil....Static was shot, the reporter said he was at hospital in critical condition. No, that can't be right, no....Virgil."  
  
"Mr. Hawkins, Virgil is Static Shock. I'll take you to the hospital where he's at if you'd like, but you have to promise not to tell anyone that you know who Static and Gear are."  
  
Mr. Hawkins nodded before talking again, "Can I go tell Sharon?"  
  
Richie nodded and sat down on the couch to wait as Virgil's dad ran up that stairs.  
  
The thought of how his parents might react never really went through to him until now. They would be worried, they might not let him be Gear anymore, but that might not matter if Virgil didn't live, not much would. What would be the point, but then again, he could at least try to be the hero, but it would be hard, especially since all the criminals would take advantage of Static's weakened and helpless state.  
  
"What!"  
  
The sound of Sharon's horrified and worried scream penetrated his thoughts. He looked up to find both of Virgil's family members rushing down the stairs.  
  
"It's t...True." Sharon slowly walked toward Richie and stopped right in front of him, then looked back at here father, even more worry on her features.  
  
"Let's go, he's at Dakota General Hospital." Richie sighed, this was going to be hard, and nobody at the hospital knew who Static Shock was, and bringing in family members of Virgil's might be pretty difficult.  
  
"I'll drive." Responded Mr. Hawkins as he walked toward the door, Sharon at his heals, and Richie putting his mask back on before joining them.  
  
Hope everyone liked that! I'll try and update soon! 


	3. Hospital Visits

I hope everyone likes this next chapter, and I really hope I showed what the characters were feeling. Well, Read and Review, tell me what you think!  
  
Hospital Visits

" Come on, we have to go through the private entrance, nobody else goes through it." Gear walked in front of the two worried family members, trying to keep calm while he led the way. He had gotten lucky when he found out that they could go through a secret entrance, and wouldn't have to deal with anyone. In about ten minutes, they were inside the room, and both Mr. Hawkins and Sharon were standing beside Static.  
  
" Can we take his mask off?" Asked Mr. Hawkins.  
  
Richie nodded before joining them. Mr. Hawkins slowly removed the mask the reveal his son's face. But this time, his son wasn't laughing, or yelling, or anything, he just lay there, almost as if he were dead.  
  
" What happened?"  
  
Richie gulped; he really didn't want to tell them it was his fault that his child was dying. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat, tried to stop his insides from twisting into a knot.  
  
" The leader, he wanted me to crack the password for the bank, but said I wouldn't, so he shot Virgil. Then he said that I couldn't help him until I finished with the password, or else he would shoot someone else, or shoot Static again. So I cracked it, but it took over three hours. I..I'm really sorry, I didn't mean for any of this to happen. We were both scared of going in there, but, we couldn't just leave all those people in the bank with that guy.... I'm sorry." Richie bowed his head, suddenly finding the floor very interesting  
  
"It's not you're fault." Mr. Hawkins squeezed the young man's shoulder reassuringly to make sure he understood. His eyes never left his son's face, and he just realized how pale he looked. He then looked over at Sharon, who was sitting next to her brother, holding his hand as if to show everything was going to be okay. But right now, they didn't know if anything was going to be okay.  
  
" I just heard." Said Adam, as he stretched into the room. "Sorry I didn't get here earlier. How is he?"  
  
" Not good." Richie stated glumly, without lifting his head. Everything seemed so unreal right about now, like it was just some awful dream. But it wasn't, it was all coming true before his eyes, and there was nothing he could do about it. And now, now he was tired, the only thing that had been keeping him up was that rush of adrenaline that he had gotten after Static had been shot, and when he had to go tell Virgil's family. Right now though, it was gone, and he was just about to fall asleep. He started to sway, but to his luck, Mr. Hawkins was keeping him up.  
  
" Are you okay?" He asked, and Richie could see worry in his eyes, for him, not only for Virgil, but for him.  
  
" Yeah, just tired is all."  
  
" Well, then maybe you should go home, get some sleep." Adam suggested.  
  
" I can't, I left the house in a T-shirt, my parents are going to notice the bandage." He was too tired to go home, to explain everything to his parents, who undoubtedly would react a lot worse then Virgil's dad had.  
  
" Do you just plan on not telling them, they deserve to know, especially now, you've been through a traumatic experience." Robert stated.  
  
" I know, but, I'll do it tomorrow, for now, I'll just get a nice little cot up here and spend the night."  
  
" No, you wont, you are going to go to our house and spending the night there, just like you told you're parents. Sharon and Adam will go with you, I'll stay here in the cot."  
  
" But.."  
  
" No buts, you go home and get some sleep, I'll stay here."  
  
" Okay, but I'll order the cot up, we can't have anyone finding out about Static. Adam, could you keep everyone hidden while the thing is being brought in here?"  
  
" Sure, no problem." He went outside and motioned everyone to follow him. He made himself into one of those rain breakers in front of hotels, and told everyone to get down and sit on him.  
  
"You sure that you can carry both of them?" " No problem, I've held more."  
  
After hearing that, Richie put on his helmet and called up a cot, waiting patiently for it to come.  
  
" Here you go, one cot, do you need anything else?" Asked the orderly, he seemed way too cheery for Gear's liking at the moment.  
  
" No, that's enough, thanks." With that, Gear went over to the window and motioned everyone to come back in, then took off his helmet again. " You okay?" He asked Adam, who was now stretching back into the room.  
  
" Yep, come on, we better get going, I'll drive."  
  
" Sharon, Richie, you think you're up for school tomorrow?" asked Robert.  
  
Sharon shook her head no, but Richie wasn't paying attention anymore, the day had been much too long. He just kept on staring at his feet, knowing that he couldn't look at his friend, it would be too mutch.  
  
" I think that's a no," Said Adam, who was walking toward the window. " Come on, we're going through the window, so you better put on you helmet." He said to Richie, who just nodded and followed the older man. Adam picked up Sharon and before long, they were gone and out of sight, leaving father and son alone in the room.  
  
" Dear God, why?" He asked, looking up at the ceiling, tears that he had been holding back, welled up in his eyes. " Who could do such a thing?" This time he looked at Virgil, but he didn't get an answer. He looked at his surroundings, the different machines, tubs, and wires, all their to help his son. He also noted the bandages that were raped around his son's torso, and were now starting to get red at the site of the wound. He thought about pushing the call button, but then thought better of it. The doctor's knew what they were doing.  
  
Robert started at his son's face for a long time, he didn't know how long, but that didn't matter. Nothing mattered as long as those machines kept on beeping; telling him his son was still alive. For the first time, to his surprise, he noticed the tube in Virgil's mouth, which he knew led into his throat. Robert took his son's hand in his own, waiting for some sort of response, but none came. Not a thing to indicate that Virgil knew what was going on. Nothing.

Sharon sat in the passenger seat while Richie sat in the back. He had changed into his normal cloths for safety measures, but didn't seem find any comfort in them, nothing that would make him feel any better about that day. Adam drove the car, determined to get to the house and make everyone feel comfortable, at least until tomorrow. It took them about twenty minutes to get there, and once they did, Adam turned around to tell Richie, but instead, found him sound asleep.  
  
" I'll carry him." Whispered Adam with a small smile. He got out of the car and opened the doors to the back seats, and lifted Richie out of the car, one arm under his back, the other was under his legs.  
  
"I don't blame him for falling asleep." It was the first thing Sharon had said since she had left the house.  
  
" Yeah, come on, let's get him inside." Once they were in the house, Adam gently laid Richie down on the sofa and moved toward the kitchen. " Where do you keep the bandages?" He asked, looking through the drawers.  
  
" Right here," Sharon answered as she took a role out of the cabinet next to the refrigerator, handing them to Adam.  
  
" Thanks." He said, then starting walking back into the living room. He got down next to Richie and rolled up the boy's sleeve before starting his work. He took off the bandage that was wrapped around Richie's arm, since he had seen the blood starting to come through. Once that was off, he starting wrapping it with the new one. With that done, he took of his shoes and fell on the coach.  
  
" You better get up to you're room and get some sleep" He suggested. Sharon answered with a nod and made her way upstairs.  
  
Looking at the young man next to him, Adam realized how much strength and courage it had taken for both Richie and Virgil to go into that bank. Then, for Richie to have to leave his best friend behind to help a bunch of crooks. With a sigh, he grabbed a pair of blankets and pillows from the hallway closet. He put one of the pillows under Richie's head, then draped a blanket over his sleeping form. After looking at him for a few minutes, he noted that, although Gear had stood and fought, and became a man in everyone's eyes, Richie did too. But at the same time, lost almost all will to fight, and had become a child, searching for a missing piece in his soul.  
  
Adam knew what that piece was, it was knowing that Virgil would live, and knowing that he had done the right thing. But convincing Richie, and Gear, that this was true, that he had honestly done what needed to be done, would be hard.  
  
With that final thought, Adam let the pillow fall gently to the floor, before letting his head rest on it, and entered a restless sleep. Richie felt his head throbbing as he woke up. Although he kept his eyes closed, he could tell it was still dark out, probably around one or two in the morning. After a few minutes of trying to realize what the hell he was doing on a couch, he remembered the events that had taken place the previous day.  
  
With a groan, he sat up, allowing the blanket that covered him to remain resting on his left shoulder. He looked down at his bandaged arm, and, although it was dark, could make out a circle of blood on it. Looking groggily around the room, he spotted a role of bandages on the coffee table, and picked them up. Taking off the soiled wrap, he gently, but firmly, put on a new one.  
  
Fatigue was starting to set in, so with a sigh, he fell back onto the couch, and quickly fell asleep.  
  
_The supposed leader spoke again. "Hey, Gear, you're good at hacking into things, why don't you get the banks password."  
  
"Never, not on my life."  
  
The man just shrugged, "Okay," was his reply as he starting circling, gun cocked, ready to shoot anyone, "then how about on...Static's!"  
  
The sound of the gunfire vibrated throughout the entire room_. 

Richie turned restlessly in his sleep, trying to get rid of the awful nightmare..  
  
_A lot of people tried to get even lower to the floor, throwing their arms over their heads, some screaming. But Gear didn't see or hear any of that, the only thing that penetrated his mind was Static, and the look on his face as he lay on the floor. Gear could see the pain etched o his face, and quickly ran over to his fallen friend.  
  
"Static, Static! You okay man?"  
  
"Yeah," Static managed to gasp out. He was holding onto his side, trying to block the pain out.  
  
Gear looked closer at his friend, and then noticed the blood on his hand.  
_  
Riche popped up from the couch, sweat clinging to his forehead and soaking his t-shirt. He breathed rapidly, trying to get control of himself, and his emotions.  
  
_You get the password, then help him  
_  
He remembered the look on Virgil's face, the pain that took control of his thoughts, his senses. Then he remembered how he had felt when he had to leave his friend, had to crack a stupid password. He had felt guilty, like now. Now, the feeling of betraying his friend had subsided, but it was still there, still knowing at him. And he knew it wasn't going to go away, not now....not ever.


	4. It Wasn't A Dream

Hey, thanks for all the great reviews, they were, well, great! Hope you like this chapter.  
  
Oh, I'm real sorry about not updating for soooo long. There were a lot of reasons, like writer's block, my laptop not typing the I's, k's, and other letters and sighns, and, for a while, not internet. Yeah, that stuff lasted a few months. Sorry, but I hope this makes up for it.  
  
Ch 4- It Wasn't A Dream,  
  
Backpack sat on the coffee table, having been brought inside by Adam a few hours ago. The sun was now shining through the window, making the robot gleam in the light. Richie stirred on the couch, fighting with a nightmare, until he got too close to the edge of the couch and fell with a thud to the floor. Adam heard the noise, followed by a groan, and came running into the living room from the kitchen. He made it in just in time to see the teen sit up rubbing his head.  
  
With a sigh, he walked over to Richie and helped him get back up and onto the couch. He looked at the boy and saw the beads of sweat on his forehead, and the damp t-shirt.  
  
"Hey, you okay?" Adam was worried as he watched Richie look around the room in a state of confusion. He had been worried about Richie ever since he had arrived at the hospital. Virgil's condition had been severe, and Adam knew what that was going to do to his best friend and partner. The events of the previous day had taken a toll on everyone, especially Richie, but Adam couldn't even begin to imagine what the Hawkins family was going through.  
  
After a few minutes of Richie failing to respond, Adam asked again. " Richie, you okay man?" Richie looked up at Adam as a tear fell silently down his cheek.  
  
"It really happened, didn't it? It wasn't a dream, Virgil is dying.... It wasn't a dream." The last comment was a whisper and Adam almost didn't catch it. Richie took in a shaky breath and sat quietly, holding back the tears that stung his eyes, just waiting to be released. But Richie wouldn't allow it; instead, he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand to get rid of any evidence of tears that might appear.  
  
Adam didn't know what to say to that, so he just rubbed Richie's back, thinking about what the reporter had said the morning while he was watching the news...  
  
"Yesterday, Static and Gear had gone into the bank behind me to try and stop an armed robbery. But it resulted in tragedy." The young woman stepped aside to let the viewers see inside the bank at the many officers spread around trying to find clues. "Static was shot, and is now in intensive care, while his partner Gear remains unseen. Paramedics say Static took a bullet to the stomach, and Gear received a graze on the arm. So far, police have no suspects, and are combing the area for any clues."  
  
That was when Sharon had turned of the TV, not allowing Adam to finish watching. Now, Sharon was gone, probably with Virgil and her father, and the two men sat together. Men.... Adam thought, and not for the first time, realized it was true. He had known it yesterday, and now, he knew that was right.  
  
"What time is it?" Richie asked, jolting Adam out of his musings.  
  
"Um, about half past noon."  
  
"What!" Richie jumped up from the couch, which only resulted in a dizzy spell.  
  
"Hey, hey, come, sit back down." Adam eased Richie back onto his seat.  
  
"I...I'm alright.... It's just a headache." Richie said as he rubbed his head.  
  
"That may be so, but that wound might result in an infection, stay put for a while, or go visit Virgil." He was getting concerned. All the physical and emotional stress Richie was going through wasn't doing him any good.  
  
"No, I'm fine, I'm just going.." Adam cut him off before he could finish the sentence.  
  
"To lie here and get better. You're not going to do Static any good if you start patrolling the city, have that fever take over, and you catapult to the ground. Look, Richie, I know this is a hard time for you, but you can't just occupy yourself to get your mind off of it. That won't work. You got that?"  
  
Richie nodded, but got up anyway.  
  
"Where are you going?" Adam was now angry as well as concerned. That's it, I've made up my mind.....no kids for me!  
  
"To the bank." Richie mumbled.  
  
"No you're not. All that's going to happen to you there, is about twenty reporters, each trying get a very long and tiring interview."  
  
"I know, but I've learned to deal." His voice seemed to be getting hoarse, raspy, and both of them knew it, one not caring, the other knowing he couldn't do a thing about it.  
  
Adam sighed, giving up on the hero who was now changing into his uniform. He knew it was going to be a long day for everyone, and decided that he would go with Gear to the bank before visiting Virgil.  
  
"Fine, but I'm coming with you." Adam was determined, but he didn't realize that Richie was too, to go alone.  
  
"No, I'll be okay, you go and give you're support to Sharon and Mr.H" Richie grumbled, by now putting on his helmet. Adam was getting annoyed with the boy, and couldn't understand why he wouldn't let anyone help.  
  
"What's wrong with you? I mean, I can understand it if you feel guilty, but that doesn't mean you have to take on all the responsibility. You're in no shape to be going anywhere, except maybe to visit your best friend!" Richie could tell Adam was loosing his temper, but that didn't change the fact that he had to go through with it alone, to prove to himself that he couldn't possibly have done anything more to help his friend. He didn't want anyone there to support him; it would just break his concentration, or maybe prove to him that it truly was his fault. No, he had to do it alone, and that was that.  
  
"Adam, I appreciate you're concern, really, I do, but I have to do this alone. You....You just don't get it. It's one of those things in life you can't get help with." Richie sighed, not wanting to look Adam in the eye. "I'm going to go see Virgil when I'm done, until then, you go, the Hawkins need someone right now, and it's definitely not me."  
  
Adam was ready to protest, but then, his phone just had to go off, annoying Adam beyond belief. Picking it up, he opened it and answered, still trying to get Richie to stay.  
  
"Hello? Who is this?" Adam asked, exasperated when all Richie did was put on the boots for his costume.  
  
"Don't you recognize you're older brother?" The voice on the other end seemed to be laughing, enjoying the shocked silence on the phone.  
  
"You're no brother of mine Ebon, what do you want?!" Adam had already been angry, but was now furious at the man who dared call him his brother. Although Adam wasn't happy about hearing from his brother, he was pleased to note that Richie had stopped putting on his shoes to stare at him.  
  
"Just wanted to know if Static was alright, is he dead yet?" Ebon's laughter filled Adam's head, and he was ready to throw the phone down, trying to get rid of the sound.  
  
"He's alive, and he's going to stay alive!" Adam barked down at the phone, then stopped to think. "Ebon, you didn't have anything to do with that robbery...Did you?" He asked cautiously.  
  
"Yeah, I wish little brother. Sadly, I had nothing to do with it. Why would I hire a bunch of teens to do the job for me? Though, I must admit, they did it." Ebon laughed again before hanging up, leaving Adam heaving with anger.  
  
"What was that all about?" Asked Richie, momentarily forgetting his task. Leaving one shoe untied and the other lying on the floor, he walked over to stand next to Adam.  
  
"Ebon felt like mocking me, that's all." He sighed, feeling himself also starting to go through the emotional turmoil as well. "Rich, please, just stay put. We'll go over to the hospital, make sure everything there is okay, but please, don't go out there."  
  
For the second time in two days, Richie could see the concern in a friend's eyes. It made him feel better, but it wasn't enough, nothing would be until he made sure of his own emotions. He also remembered that he still had to tell his own parents, who would undoubtedly react a lot worse then Mr.H had.  
  
"No, I....I have to go....I'm going to go talk to my parents, I have to. After that I'm going to the bank, and there's no way you can stop me." Richie finished putting on his shoes and started going outside before Adam stopped him again.  
  
"Wait, at least let me come with you when you tell you're parents, it might make it a little easier on yourself."  
  
Richie thought about it for a moment. He had come over here yesterday to tell Virgil's family, alone, and it had been hard. Maybe having Rubber band Man by his side would indeed make it easier. Gear nodded before continuing making his way toward the door.  
  
On the way over to his house, Richie couldn't seem to focus on the task ahead; telling his parents. The only thing that caught his attention was the bank robbery, and his role in Virgil's critical state. Even with all the constant explanations from Adam that it wasn't his fault, he just couldn't seem to realize it. But now, there he was, standing in front of his own door, afraid to go in.  
  
Taking in a deep breath, he looked back at Rubber Band Man, who nodded for him to go forward. Gear thought about unlocking the door with his own key, but decided against it, figuring his father would try and bash him over the head with something. With another large intake of air, Gear knocked on the door, his stomach churning at the thought of facing his father with the news. For a moment, Richie had a thin sliver of hope that his parents weren't home, but the hope was intensely short lived; mainly, ten seconds.  
  
His father stood in front of him, staring down at the young super hero and his companion. After another few second of confusion, and one waiting for the other to start the conversation, Mr. Foley found his voice.  
  
"Umm, won't you come in...Ah, I....Was just watching the news, I'm sorry about what happened to you're partner, I....uh, how may I help you." He finally managed the phrase, well, the little amount of it anyway. He looked down at the young man, who was staring back up at him, worry written all over his face, along with Rubber Band Man's.  
  
Adam looked between the two, and after another minute of silence, started to talk.  
  
"Mr. Foley..." He couldn't make it very fare before Gear cut him off.  
  
"I can tell him myself...Mr. Foley.... Oh, what the hell, I might at well get it over with." He flung off his helmet, letting it drop by his side. Looking up, he saw the shocked expression on his father's face. "Dad, it's me, get it.... And Static.... That's Virgil...Dad, stop gaping at me like I'm some sort of freak, say something... Say something Damnit!" Richie ended his short rampage, as all his reserves crumpled and turned into dust. He couldn't contain the tears anymore and let them fall. He buried his head in his father's chest and cried, not caring that Adam was there, and not caring that his father might think him less of a man, he couldn't hold it in anymore.  
  
"Richie.." Mr. Foley whispered, not knowing what else to say as he held on to his grieving son. He hugged his child, and they stayed that way for a while longer. During that time, Adam had taken his cue to leave, and once out the door, started making his way to the hospital.  
  
The whole time, the teen kept whispering, "It wasn't a dream, Oh, God....It wasn't a dream." Once Richie had no more tears to shed, he pulled away from the loving embrace, whipping at he tear stained face.  
  
"I....I'm sorry....I, shouldn't have cried like that....I'm sorry." Richie dropped his head, letting his chin rest on his chest.  
  
"No, son, there's nothing to be sorry for, just please, tell me, what's going on? What happened down at the bank, that is why you're here isn't it, because of what's happened?" Receiving a nod, Mr. Foley led Richie over to the couch.  
  
"It happened so fast, or, at least that's what it seemed like." Richie started, seeing no point in hiding anything now. "They... The three guys the robbed the bank.... Wanted me to crack the password for the bank, and when I said I wouldn't do it, they... They shot Virgil." Richie stopped to get a hold of his already weakened emotions. "They said I couldn't help him until I cracked the password. It took a long time, too long, by the time I could help Virgil, he was unconscious, barely alive, and he...He stopped breathing Dad, he just stopped...I, I got so scared. I saved him, but, when he was finally stable enough for me to leave him, the robbers where gone." Richie looked up at his father and noted that he too bore a look of concern, lately; everyone seemed to look like that.  
  
"Richie, what happened to you're arm?" He had heard that Gear had been hit in the arm, but no further details had been available, neither on the hero's current conditions, or the happenings in the bank.  
  
"I... After a little while, maybe an hour or so, when I couldn't crack the password, one guy got nervous and shot at me. It's not that bad, just a graze." Richie sighed, it had been a while since he could confine in his father, and he found that he was enjoying the bond. But this wasn't the time; he had to get to the bank. The only problem was, he wasn't sure weather he was going there for the reason he kept telling himself, maybe it was for something totally different. And then it hit him, the reason why he had to go to the bank, and it scared him, because it wasn't something heroes did; was it?  
  
"Dad, I have to go, to the bank.... I need to get some clues, you know, try and find these guys." He was looking down on the floor again, because for some reason, he couldn't look into his father's eyes.  
  
"Richie, don't go there, I know what it feels like, to think it was you're fault, to feel guilty. And I also know that another feeling comes with that, a feeling of wanting to turn wrong into right... Your own way. Richie, please, don't." Father and son looked into each other's eyes for a moment, each reading the others thought. But it was a pointless move, for Richie couldn't take it anymore, and simple grabbed his helmet off the floor and ran to the door.  
  
He stopped in front of it and turned to face his dad. "Tell mom, please." Richie said before putting his helmet on and leaving his father along in the living room to think.  
  
The streets were getting cold as Gear flew through the afternoon sky, looking down at the little kids in the street. He saw a few girls playing hopscotch, others; jump -rope. But he didn't fail to notice the boys that were playing cowboys and Indians, and especially those that played the game of superhero.  
  
A game... Ha, I guess that's all it really was to us. We sort of saw it as our own personal comic book adventure. It's sort of funny, here we are, every day, fighting super villains, and we get beat by some dumb bank robbers. Though, I guess they aren't that dumb if they managed to rob the bank, and destroy Static.  
  
The thought of Static, he best friend, being destroyed, brought back the feeling he had been having all day, and Richie knew what it was. He couldn't deny it any longer, his father had been right; he wanted to turn wrong into right his own way. But, what about Virgil, what would he say? Richie knew that, when Daisy had been in a coma, Static had tracked down Puff and Onyx, wanting to blame them for what happened, wanting the same thing he wanted now... Revenge. Yes, that was what he wanted, but, unlike then, unlike with Virgil, it hadn't been Richie's fault, but that didn't change the way they both felt.  
  
Those kids have dreams of being super heroes, but for us, it became a reality, and unlike those kids, the events of yesterday had too; been a reality. Now, just like on TV, I want revenge for my partners suffering, and although I'm still finding it hard to comprehend, I knew that... It wasn't a dream.  
  
I tried to write more, because 1: I felt my chapters were too short, 2: I had a lot to write about for this one, and 3: I haven't updated in a long time and I feel like I owe it to all of you who are reading this story.  
  
I hope I got the characters right, please tell me when click that little button down there that says: Submit Review  
  
Thanks for reading this far, the next chapter will be called: Daisy and Revenge Don't Mix  
  
Yeah, so, I hope you keep enjoying the story.  
  
BYE!!! 


	5. Daisy and Revenge Don't Mix

I know it's been a while since I updated, but please enjoy! -

Ch-5 Daisy and Revenge Don't Mix

Gear hovered above the bank, trying to make up his mind about what to do. On his way there, he had struggled with the idea of whether or not he should tell Daisy. He still couldn't decide, but when he remembered coming into the hospital room when Virgil had told Daisy that he wished he could tell here that he was really Static, Richie made up his mind.

Turning around, he pushed himself forward and toward his school, which he knew still hadn't been dismissed. Sighing, Richie landed a block away from his destination and walked slowly into a familiar ally that him and Virgil had frequently changed in. Making sure nobody was watching, he quickly changed, stuffing his clothing into one of the extra backpacks Virgil had put there when he had become Static to make sure he always had somewhere to put his costume; Richie had later added his own backpacks.

Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he left the alley. Taking his time to walk down the block, another question popped into his head; should he tell Frieda? Him and Virgil had known her longer then Daisy, but there hadn't ever really been a connection between her and Static. He was starting to become very confused with all the thoughts about Daisy, Frieda, Static, telling people, and then all the scientific idea's running through his head that he couldn't make much sense of anything.

He decided that it would be a lot easier for any one of the two to receive the news together. Yep, that was it, he'd tell both of them.... Yeah, he'd tell them both together....Not a hard decision....Nope......_**WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO TELL THEM! **Oh, hey guys, what's up.... Oh, you wanna hear something interesting? Virgil is Static, cool huh?_ _**YEAH RIGHT!** _

Letting out a groan, Richie sat down on the side of the street, staring up at the giant clock; he was scared and slightly relieved to find that the end of school bell would be ringing in six minutes. Looking up at the sky, he saw the sun shining bright above him, then, looking around, saw people walking down the street, totally oblivious of anything except what they had to do. The sight showed the young hero of the tragic events of the previous day, no indication that it had ever happened. The only thing that reminded him was the bandage on his arm... And the fact that he wasn't in school.

Getting up, he took the few remaining steps toward the school and stood next to the steps, leaning against the wall. He found himself zoning out, thinking of the week before when Virgil had fallen asleep on the couch while he had sat on the floor watching the news.

"_Virgil! Virgil get up off your lazy ass!" Sh_a_ron yelled at her younger brother. Shaking him, she screamed again. "Virgil GET UP!"_

_With a start, Virgil leaped off the couch and landed with a painful thud to the floor. Yawning, he glared at his older sister while Richie rolled on the floor, laughing hysterically. "What was that for?"_

"_It's you're turn to do the dishes tonight little brother." She stated angrily at the boy that was supposedly her little brother, but she knew was from a different planet._

"_What! But that's not fair, I didn't even EAT dinner!"_

"_So, it's still you're turn, and anyway, Richie did." Sharon replied with a smirk before walking calmly back into the kitchen._

_Virgil glared at Richie, who smiled innocently back at him. "What? It would have been a shame to let all that good food go to waist."_

_Virgil gave his best friend a quizzical look. "**Good** food? How can there be **GOOD** food when my sister cooks!?"_

"_Um, heh, yeah....You're dad order take out...Chinese food." Richie gave a weak, nervous smile back at his friend._

"_TAKE OUT!" Virgil launched at Richie, who jumped back just in time to avoid being pulverized. "The one time Sharon doesn't cook, you eat MY food!?"_

"_Hey, V-man, um, we tried to wake you up, really we did." Richie backed slowly away and reached the door, and right before Virgil could grab him, opened it and went flying out. "Bye Virg, see yah in school tomorrow!" Richie yelled back as he ran down the block._

Richie smiled at the memory. The next day during patrol, Virgil had told him that that had been the biggest and messiest pile of dishes he had ever had to clean. He was dragged away from memory lane when he heard someone calling him from behind. Turning around, he stared up into the faces of Daisy and Frieda.

"Richie, why weren't you and Virgil in school today?" Daisy asked, she paused for a moment, looking around her. "Speaking of which, where _is_ Virgil"

Looking between the two questioning faces, he stood up with a sigh. "Come with me." Richie whispered, guiding the girls toward the alley he had recently vacated.

"Richie, what's this about?" Frieda spoke up when Richie didn't answer Daisy's question.

"Just.... Follow me." When they reached the back of the alley, Richie took off his backpack. "Look at all the backpacks here.... Five that look like mine and five that look like Virgil's." He said, pointing to the bags that lay on the ground. Turning to face them, he smiled sadly, knowing what this was going to do to his friends. "Daisy, remember when there was an accident at the movie theater, and you were in the hospital? We... We were all really worried, especially Virgil... He felt responsible for what happened." He stopped there, taking a deep breath to keep himself from crying again.

"Why, he couldn't have done anything, he wasn't even there." Daisy looked curiously at Richie, waiting for him to continue.

"But that's just it, he _was_ there. When you were in a coma, Virgil told you something, something that only I know. Remember that electric daisy that you saw in the sky after you woke up? That was Virgil, that was STATIC." Richie bowed his head at the dumbfounded looks that the girls gave him. He hadn't put it in the nicest way possible, but he was tired, and he had used up a lot of energy today, telling his father, and the day before that, telling the Hawkins. At the moment, all he could think about was the bank robbers, his parent, and Virgil...He didn't have any room for sympathy for the two girls.

Daisy and Frieda looked at each other, neither knowing what to say. It was a delicate situation, and it seamed apparent to both of them that Richie was like a piece of fragile glass at the moment, just about ready to fall to the ground and shatter into a million unfixable pieces. But at the same time, they didn't know how to react, to them, it was an unthinkable situation, something you joked about during 5th period history.

After five minutes of uncomfortable silence, Richie spoke up. "Nobody finds out about this.... Nobody, got it?" Looking up, he saw Daisy chew her lower lip in thought, and Frieda shifted uncomfortable from one foot to the other. They both saw haw deadly serious Richie was about the whole situation and knew they couldn't keep telling themselves it was one huge gag.

Nodding, Daisy asked, "Can we see Virgil?" Richie could hear the desperation in her voice and nodded.

" I'll take you there." He whispered. He walked out of the alley, knowing perfectly well that Daisy and Frieda were following him without turning around. After a short walk down the block, Richie turned around to look at the two girls. Taking a good look at the two, he saw the emotion well up in their eye's, especially Daisy, who was trying hard not to let the tears fall.

For a second, he thought about taking the girls to the hospital himself, but instantly shook the thought off. With a sigh, he gave the two specific instructions on how to get to Virgil's room.

Frieda stopped him before he could leave. "Where are you going?" She asked shakily, barely trusting her own voice as she spoke.

"I have something to do." Richie said quietly, not looking up off the floor, his back now turned to her.

"You want revenge, don't you?" Daisy whispered, coming from behind her friend. At that moment, Richie couldn't even begin to imagine how seemingly everyone in the entire universe knew what he wanted, no... needed, to do. "Don't do it Richie, Virgil would never forgive you for doing that, especially not for him." Richie had thought about that on his way to tell the girls, and had decided that what Virgil didn't know wouldn't hurt him, especially if he didn't.... Richie wouldn't allow himself to think about that, concentrating on how he was going to get his hands on the crooks.

Richie sighed and turned to his two friends, looking each of them straight in the eye. "Go to Virgil, he needs all the help he can get." He received a nod from Daisy, but he hadn't expected what she was going to say.

"Exactly Richie, all the help he can get." The tears started pooling at the brims of her eyes. "He needs you more then us, _you_. Richie, what you're going to do, its..." The tears started flowing down her face, "It's not right, please Richie, come with us to see Virgil...Please." The last word caught in her throat, but she managed to get it out.

Richie turned away from the sorrow faces, whispering, "Go see Virgil," before rushing off down the street, ready to dodge into the first ally in sight to change.

* * *

Gear flew quickly to the bank; ready to handle both the scene of the crime, and the reporters, not entirely sure which was worse. He made up his mind that it was the first, as he looked down at the floor where just the day before, his best friend lay bleeding to death. Taking a deep breath, he started combing the site for clues.

A few hours into his search, he was finally awarded with a strand of hair that hadn't matched anyone at the bank at the time of the robbery, or even that day that the police knew of. Although that was true, he wanted to make sure he was looking at the right person, not wanting to make any assumptions until he was fully sure.

He knew how to do that, but he also knew that it would take a few hours. But as he started making his way out of the bank, he found, to his relief, that his just planned trip wouldn't be happening. Looking up, he saw the solemn face of one of the world's most famous super heroes.

* * *

Daisy trembled as she stood next to Virgil's bed, staring hopelessly at the tube coming out of the hero's mouth. The Hawkins and Adam had graciously left the teens alone, allowing them to let out their own emotions in privet. Frieda had only stayed for a few minutes, leaving Daisy alone with Virgil.

"I..." She started to talk, but her voice betrayed her as a sob caught in her throat, not for the first time that day. Sitting down, she allowed the tears to fall, not caring that she was making her pants damp as she let go of her emotions. Between the sobs, she managed out the words she had been waiting to say for a long time. "I love you Virgil."

* * *

The tall hero stood over him, his piercing eyes staring into his own. Richie didn't need to ask what the man was doing here, and the man didn't need to explain.

"I was just on my way to see you." Richie stated, and he found his voice hadn't betrayed him like before, that it had remained sober, lack of emotion. "I need you're help Batman."

He received a nod, and was quickly amazed to find that they were no longer the only two occupying the room. The rest of the Justice League stood around him, and a half smile appeared on Richie's face. It felt alien, but he accepted it's warm greeting.

Superman was the first to speak up. "We would have come sooner, but there was a bit of trouble we had to deal with."

Richie amazed himself by saying, "You didn't have to come, I know how busy you are."

"Anything for a fellow man in tights." Said Flash. Richie nodded and turned back to Batman, the guy he had been on his way to see.

"You said you needed my help, with what?" Asked Batman, looking down at Richie with serious eyes.

"I found a clue, but I needed you to analyze it before I did anything. I wasn't about to barge into a guys house, only to find that it's the wrong guy." Gear eyed the people around him before continuing. "It's a strand of hair, and I believe it was one of the guys that shot up this place.

-

So? What do ya think? Please tell me, I know that I haven't updated for a while, but I hope this chapter was worth the wait. Please review, I really want to know if it was up the your standards.


	6. The Pride of a Man

6-The Pride of a Man

Batman nodded as he scanned the strand of hair as Gear hovered uncertainly next to him. They had come to the batcave, but, unlike his last time there, he wasn't in the least bit interested in his surroundings. The rest of the league stood around waiting to hear the results of the test, as Flash chewed distractedly on a slice of pizza, which he was now doing purely on auto drive, his full attention on the screen.

"Well, I think you've got your guy. His name it Pete Halo" Batman stated in his usual monotonous voice. For a second, Gear thought how boring it would be to listen to him if Batman had been a teacher at his school, or simply giving a presentation in the auditorium. But the moment of joy only lasted that one-second and he heard Flash grumble " What and ironic name." Before returning his full attention to the information on the giant monitor while Batman continues talking. " He was arrested twice, once for trying to rob a liquor store, and other for assaulting his girlfriend. They couldn't prove the robbery, but he went to prison for hitting his girlfriend, but got out on good behavior."

Flash saw his cue to cut into the conversation. "Somebody must have been paying the parole board some big bucks to pull that off."

" You're right Flash," Said Superman as he scanned the page, leaving Flash staring at his fellow superhero with bewilderment. " After setting Pete free, the board was anonymously charged with taking bribes."

" Does it say where he lives?" Asked Hawkgirl, her mace resting on her shoulder. Gear didn't want to come too close.

"It's in the rundown part of Dakota." Said Gear, " I've been around the place where that building is countless times."

* * *

"Um, we need to make one stop before we go get this Pete Halo." Just saying the man's name seemed to dirty his mouth, and Gear could almost feel the grime pilling up in his tongue.

" Where's that?" Asked Superman, finding it odd that Gear was putting off doing exactly what he wanted to; rip the crook's head off. Even though they wouldn't actually allow him to do that, Superman knew it was Gear had been waiting to do.

" The hospital, I need to tell Static's family what's going on in the investigation." Gear said, surprised that his voice had help firm the entire time he had been with the Justice League. He had expected to start mumbling somewhere in the middle of a conversation, but that scene had not taken place, leaving Gear relived that he had managed to stay firm throughout the ordeal of the investigation. Except that one part with his father.

Batman nodded, turning the Justice League aircraft slightly toward the direction of the hospital. Everyone stayed silent the rest of the way their, the only sound that could be heard was the soft murmur of the engine. Gear would have sworn that everyone there had heard his heart hammering against his chest, and each intake of air seemed to have the same affect on him as standing next to a church bell. But if anyone had happened to hear it, nobody said a word.

The intimidating silence was shattered once the aircraft landed on the roof of the hospital with and barely audible thud. The Justice League climbed out, followed by Gear who then took the lead in getting to their destination. The window, of course, was the best entrance to the private room. They were all used to it by now, though that didn't stop Gear from getting the idea of flying away as quickly as his boots would let him. With a deep sigh, he entered the room full of beeping machines, which despite the volume of each one combined, it couldn't seem to muffle the loud drum-like noises of his heart.

Robert turned around in his chair, shock evident on his face at the picture in front of him. He had no idea that the Justice League would be joining the tragic game, then again, the events of the past few days should have confirmed to him that anything could happen. He saw Gear step forward, and little plastic smile on his face, and although it didn't reach his eyes, Robert knew that there had to be some good news, or else he doubted that Richie would have been able to come and face everyone.

"Mr. H, I'd like you to meet the Justice League." There it was, the moment he had been dreading; Richie had lost his voice. Although he hadn't expected it to happen now, he wasn't really surprised. They all nodded in greeting, but that was as far as the salute to each others existence went. " Mr. H, we, um, we know who did this. Well, one of the guys anyway. We're on our way to pick him up now."

" Good." Robert didn't' know what else to say, so he simply nodded. As the band of super hero's turned to leave, he remembered something that Richie would like to hear. " The doctor said Virgil is improving. It's not much, but his vital signs are better." Gear turned around to look between his best friend, who still looked as lifeless as the day he had had to perform CPR on him, and his best friend's dad, who's worry showed plainly on his face, along with lack of sleep.

With a nod, he turned along with the other hero's as they made a haste exit out the window, leaving Robert alone with his worries, praying that his son would soon wake up.

* * *

Upon arrival, Gear was ready to slaughter the man they knew was in on the bank robbery. Somehow, it didn't seem important weather or not that this man, that this Pete Halo was the one who had shot Virgil. It really didn't matter to the teen, who's were clutched so tight, for had it not been for the gloves, you would have seen the extreme shade of white they had turned into. The whole team sensed it, as all eyes fell on Flash, instantly making him the 'volunteer' to go talk to the angry young man.

With an agitated sigh, Flash moved forward, and the moment he came to the young hero's side, started talking. " You wanna kill him don't you?" At receiving no response, he figured that was his cue to continue talking. " What if he wasn't the one who shot Static? What if he didn't want anyone to get hurt?" Flash was grasping desperately at straws, and for a moment when Gear turned to face him, he thought that he had been able to somehow, without his own knowledge, been able to talk the kid out of doing something stupid. But he was oh so very wrong.

" Yeah!? Well maybe he was the one who planned the whole thing?! Maybe he's the one who pulled the trigger!?" Gear's face grew red, his eyes sending daggers at anyone who would dare disagree with him, but Flash paid no mind to it.

"Well what if he IS the guy who shot Static? What then? I trust you, we all, " Flash paused, scanning his team with a wave of his arm, " trust you, Static trusts you, and most importantly, you have to trust yourself. You have pride, and I know it, and deep down, you know you have GOT to make sure it lives. Since that's the case, we're going to stand behind you in your decision, so you do what had to be done. BUT, the second that it's over, if we believe that what you did was wrong, we have no choice but to treat you like a criminal." Flash paused once more, making sure the Gear had heard every word. " So make your choice." The last statement was so close to a whisper, Gear almost didn't catch it.

Looking up, he could feel everyone's gaze on him, yet it didn't bother him as he nodded and stepped forward. " What are you waiting for, lets get this guy to jail." The tiniest of smiles played on Gear's face as the Justice League moved in behind him. He new knew exactly what he was going to do. He was going to let that man rot in prison, and he was going to make himself proud.


	7. The Crook and the Cop

Ha! I've updated!

A little shout out to all my loyal reviewers!

**mpor1: **VR slash is a pairing of Virgil and Richie, like, when they get together as a couple, get it?

Well, thank you everyone who reviewed thus far, and I think this story will be coming to an end, maybe next time, maybe the time after that, you'll never now what hit you…Muahahahahahahah! Enjoy

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Chapter 10- The Crook and the Cop 

Standing to the side, Batman easily hid a smirk from the rest of the League. It had been amusing to all of them to watch Flash, the youngest and most arrogant of the team, talk to Gear as if he were mature. Although, in those brief moments, everyone there had witnessed a change in both young men. Obviously, Gear had done it to keep himself going and catch the crooks. But something else had driven Flash, and Batman wasn't sure what. Thinking about it, it really didn't matter as Superman and Gear attempted to get each other to agree about which course of action to take. Eventually, they came to a mutual agreement as Flash, Green Lantern, and himself went down the ladder.

Gear wouldn't settle for walking calmly across the roof before climbing the stairs if it was the last thing on earth. He had the intention of flying through the window, and nobody could stop him. Sure, after Flash's speech, he wouldn't strangle the first guy he saw, but there was no way he was going to waist more time then absolutely necessary. Everyone else now flew down, finding the apartment they were looking for had its window open. Wonder Women couldn't help but wonder why it was always so easy to just fly right in.

The second the five heroes (Gear, Superman, J'onn, Hawkgirl, and Wonder Woman) entered through the window, two terrified faces looked up from their game of poker, a beer can in each hand. One of them, a brown haired man, sputtered out the beer he had just sipped, leaving a disgusting stain on the floor. The other one, a blond, remained seated, staring in horrified disbelief at the scene in front of him. He seemed to want to follow his friends' action, but decided against it, seeing as how this was his apartment. The blond started slowly standing up but stopped when Superman moved forward slightly. Deciding it was better to stay seated, he eased himself back into the cheap chair.

Looking around, Gear saw that the place was in shambles. The couch was dirty and tufts of cotton stood out. The small fold-up table where the men were playing cards stood in-between the couch and TV, which looked like it had died in the earthquake of the century. _No wonder the guy robbed a bank_, thought Gear, trying to find a spot that wasn't grimy and/or sticky, although it didn't seem to exist.

Letting a smug grin appear on his face, Gear stepped forward toward the terrified men " Nice place you got here." He said, all the while looking around casually as if the whole scene playing out now happened on a day-to-day basses. " So." Gear's grin dropped, "Which one of you is Halo." He already knew, but revenge was all too sweet to spoil at the moment. Right then, the blond fell out of his chair and made a mad dash to the door with the intent of getting the hell out of there. It was, of course, a failed attempt, for when he opened the door, the faces of the Flash, Batman, and Green Lantern met him.

" Going somewhere?" Asked Green Lantern, and amused look spread across his face.

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Ug, I know, I know, it's short, but I'll **_try_** and update soon? Please review! Hope you all liked it!  



	8. No Fear

YAY! I've updated, although it's a pretty short chapter….

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Chapter 8- No Fear

Pete Halo wasn't sure what was baffling him more, the fact the entire Justice League was in his apartment, or that his poker partner was hiding under the flimsy excuse of a table. Staring wide-eyed, the man looked on in bewilderment at Batman, who stood right in front of him, Flash and Green Lantern behind him. Not knowing what to do, he moved cautiously backward until knocking into J'onn.

Gear stepped forward and stood nearly toe to toe with the crook. "So, you going to come quietly?" Pete nodded before sweeping a scared face at his friend. "Good. By the way, who's your friend?" Halo then, out of nowhere, decided to stand his ground and speak up for the first time.

"None of your business jerk! What do you think gives you the right to barge into MY place and starts asking questions? Who do you think you are anyway?" Gear remained unfazed and Flash could be heard chuckling in the background.

"It is my business." Gear kept his temper for another three seconds before grabbing the man's collar and shoving him to the wall. " And I have the right to do this, because no cop will dare defy me. And I THINK I'm the guy who's going to bring you in for bank robbery and attempted MURDER!" Gear let go and let Halo slip quietly to the floor as his friend maintained his position under the table. "I'll ask you one more time, who's your friend?"

There was a pause in which Flash took the time to comment, " That looks like something you do Bats." Batman didn't take the time to look at his colleague, and instead let out a huff of approval.

" Jack….Jack Bent…" Halo finally gasped out, "He…He was in on the robbery."

" Now that wasn't so hard, now was it?" Gear said sarcastically. " Just one more piece of information that I want to know. Who's your leader, because you two are definitely too cowardly to be him."

Pete swallowed hard before replying, " Tyler Reed. He's been planning this for months, said that once Static and you were out of the way, life would be easy." He looked around nervously at the heroes. " I swear, that's all I know." Gear nodded, and that seamed to be the sign for Superman to pick up the two men and fly away, one robber in each hand.

Gear's whole attitude dropped right then. He was exhausted, but was determined to find Tyler Reed, the guy who had shot his best friend. "Batman, can you…" His sentence was left unspoken when Batman cut him off.

" I'm running a search right now. We should get the results momentarily."

Within a matter of minutes, the team had the address of their culprit and were on their way. Getting there was no problem as the place was only a few blocks away and Gear was going at increasingly dangerous speeds, and in his rush of determination, almost outgoing Flash.

Finding Reed's window closed was nothing if not a minor set back, as the team had already gotten into their previous positions, and all Gear had to do was open a window. They found their culprit sitting in front of a large flat-screen TV in an apartment that could rival the presidential suite. Reed, turning to face the League with the same air of relaxation that one would have when feeding pigeons at the park, smiled at all those in front of him.

"Well, who do we have here?" He asked nonchalantly. " Long time no see Gear, I was starting to wonder when you'd find me." Getting up from his white leather couch, Tyler Reed moved forward to stand toe to toe with Gear, not the least bit worried about the circumstances of the hero's visit.

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Sorry for how short this chapter is, but please review? 


	9. What the Hell is Going on Here?

Sorry for the long wait…Like, I'm really, REALLY sorry it took so long to update, but I really hope you like it! Oh, and I need to add a quick disclaimer now…

**Bonanza does not belong to me, it belongs to whatever company that owns it…If I owned it, I'd be happy…and probably wouldn't be writing this because I was too rich to bother…**

And a few shout outs!...

**Soon to be world renown Gracie-** Do I get a cookie now?

**Demonmasterslyth-**if you used your head a little, you'd see that this story IS in fact about Richie, so I'd suggest keeping your mouth shut unless you know what you're talking about, and like a lot of people seem to tell me…If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all…

And a quick thank you to **Cyllwen**, **sye5**, **GirlieG**, and **zizzy333** for reviewing and being so nice! And, so, here it is, for all of you, the story continues!

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Chapter 9-What the Hell is Going on Here?

Gear's temper flared to the point that, had someone been trying to measure it, would have had an exploding instrument. How dare this…this criminal, this murderer, stand so close to him. In a way, mock him, implying his superiority. Gear wanted so badly just to grab his throat and squeeze the life out of this man. But, before his temper got the better of him, his logic and conscience won over, the knowledge that the Justice League was only a few feet away keeping the young hero from doing anything stupid.

They stood there for exactly ten seconds before Halo finally moved, grabbing his glass of Champaign as he turned. "So, what brings you to my humble little home?" He asked, waving his arms around to indicate the apartment. "Did you want a tour, a drink….a gun?" The last words were spoken with a subtle touch of the same menacing laughter that still haunted Gear from the day of the bank robbery. Gear's composure fell for a split second, revealing his shocked appearance.

"What?" He barely managed to sigh as Reed's words sank in.

"A gun Gear. I have a collection, would you like to see it?" Gear gathered his senses before replying, much calmer now.

"Yes, we would." The group followed Reed. Gear entered the room with the full intention of finding the weapon that had been used to hurt Virgil. And there it was, in plain sight, hoisted up on the wall in a glass case. Gear's temper rose once more, realizing that the gun was set up as some sort of trophy, a reminder and award for what it had accomplished to do. Reed turned around and saw Richie staring at the gun, and before the young hero could say anything, his host began speaking, a friendly smile spread across his face.

"Nice one, isn't it? I got it from a show, Bonanza, you might have heard of it. Great western. It's an original from the show. Cost me a fortune to get, but I'm sure glad I did."

Batman had also seen Gear staring at the gun, and new fully well why, so he decided that this was the perfect time to intrude on the conversation. "Can we take a look at it?" It felt a little odd to ask, but this man seemed too friendly, at least at this point, to demand anything. Plus, they were in a room full of guns with a supposed mad-man….Better to ask.

"Why, you a fan too?" Reed laughed slightly before opening one of the drawers and shuffling threw it before finding what he was looking for. "Alright, but only if you promise to be careful with it. I sure would hate to see anything happen to it." Using the key he had just extracted from the drawer, he opened the glass case and gingerly took out the gun and giving it to Batman.

Looking over it, The Dark Knight began his interrogation. "Have you ever used it?" The question came as such a shock to Reed that he nearly laughed.

"You must be joking. Using an original from a classic western as a weapon? That would be crazy."

"Crazy or not, this gun has been used recently." Batman stated once he was done examining the weapon.

"What are you talking about? That gun has been in that case since I bought it." Panic started to show clearly on the man's face, but not the kind Gear expected. Reed's eyes open so wide that Gear could have sworn a pigeon would be able to fit in them with no problem. Before anyone know what was going on, Reed slid to the floor, leaning against the drawers. "No…No...No…" He mumbled, holding his head as if it were ready to fall off. "It was never opened…I didn't touch it…Never opened it….Never…" As Flash leaned in to try and comfort him, Reed's head suddenly shot up. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" He screamed, the tears of fear and anger trickling down his face. "Nobody touch me!"

Everyone stood in shock at the scene they were witnessing before them. Not knowing what to do without hurting the man, they all stood as he unleashed his emotions, each of them contemplating the situation at hand. "I never touch the guns…Guns hurt people…. But he touches them…He holds them…"

"Who holds the guns Tyler?" Asked Wonder Woman as gently as she could, mustering up all of her feminine instincts to try and calm the man.

Fearful eyes looked up at the League, eyes unsure of what to do, who to trust. "He…he's here sometimes…He's very mean…Doesn't like anyone….Very mean." Reed mumbled, his broken up phrases seeming perfectly logical to the incoherent man.

"This isn't getting us anywhere." Stated Hawkgirl, looking around the room in an attempt to find something that might make this visit a little more worth while.

"SHUT UP!" Reed yelled, grasping his head as he crumpled to the floor yet again. "You stupid idiot…SHUT UP…You don't know what your talking about…." Reed shook his head, trying to ward of the demons only visible to him. "I…I'm sorry…I'll be quiet…" Reed whispered, suddenly becoming very still.

"Tyler?" Wonder Woman came closer before kneeling down next to him and pulling the now weeping man into a hug, letting him stay there until his energy ran out and he fell asleep in her arms. She quickly laid him down on the couch before returning to the gun room.

"That was…odd." Said Flash, looking around at the team to make sure he wasn't the only one who thought that. Gear nodded as he took the gun from Batman, looking at it closely for himself.

"Backpack, run an analysis on it to see when was the last time it was used." Backpack got up and walked over to where Gear had placed the gun.

Flash cocked his eyebrow curiously. "Why? You know it was used in the bank robbery, and that's the gun that was used to shoot Static, isn't it?" Flash was starting to get a headache from everything that was going on…Really; who honestly wants to deal with two cowardly robbers, a historic monument gun, and a crazy guy/robber in that order…All he wanted now were three large pepperoni pizzas and a long nap.

"Yeah, that's what I think, but, this guy has defiantly got major issues, so, who knows, maybe he used it after the robbery. You never know what a little extra searching might turn up." Backpack beeped to show that it was done with its appointed task as Gear read the readings. "That's odd…There are fingerprints on it, Reed's, but they're smudged. I'm guessing that this same gun was used, except Reed was wearing gloves."

"How do you know it's Reed who was wearing the gloves and not someone else?" Asked Green Lantern. This case was definitely starting to get interesting, if it hadn't done so before.

"DNA analysis proves that the gloves where worn by Reed. Sometimes I love being a genius." Backpack climbed back onto it's owner as Batman took out a small bag to place the gun in for further testing.

"My guess is," Batman started, "Reed's got multiple personalities, but he doesn't know it." Thinking about it further, Batman decided to rephrase that statement. "No, that's wrong, a few of him know it, but the original Tyler Reed, the one we first spoke to, has no idea."

"Huh"

"That's confusing."

"What?"

"Ugh, my head."

All range out at the same time.

"So, he going to get away with this…isn't he?" Asked Gear, a mixture of worry, fear, and hatred expressed vividly in his eyes.

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Soooo….what did you think? I know, major twist, huh? It was fun writing this, and I was happy that I got a chance to wriggle in Bonanza, my fav western…actually, the only western I watch, but I love it! So, you've read, now please review! 


	10. Hot Cup of Coffee

YES! Believe it or not, I AM updating. Sorry it took so long. I just had to get my lazy butt into it.

Sooo, now for review replies…Which I'm probably not allowed to do, but oh well…

**Kate Maxwell:** Hehe…Yeeaaah…Virgil...Kinda forgot about him. But don't worry! He will return! And thank you, I liked the twist myself. It really helped put a spin on things. But this is a Richie story, so obviously, it's mostly Richie going through guilt trips, solving the case, yadi yadi yah…Thanks for the review!

**Goddess of Twilight:** Uh…I'm not sure that I WANT to talk to one of your other personalities:D But thanks for reviewing!

**Trecebo: **Yeah, multiple personalities make my head hurt too. Too much stuff to think about when it comes to an attempted murder/maybe murder case. But hey, it had to be done for the entertainment of the readers and the good of the story. Thank for reviewing!

**Soon to be world renown Gracie: **YAY! Cookies! Mmmmm, love cookies…Anyway, yeah, I forgot his name was Tyler Reed too. ;p, so don't worry 'bout that. Thank you for reviewing!

**zizzy333: **Thanks for the compliment! I'm really enjoying writing this. Thanks for reviewing!

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Chapter 10- Hot Cup of Coffee

The ride to the hospital via Javelin was somber. Nobody spoke, not even Flash. Reed lay comatose in one of the Javelin's emergency stretchers, but not a single person there had the heart to look at him. Gear hadn't said a word since they realized about Reed's condition, and nobody could blame him. He just sat staring out the window, watching the word below continue on as if nothing had happened. As if they're prized hero hadn't been shot only a few days prior.

They soon arrived to their destination, and as Gear got ready to follow the League toward the admittance desk, Batman stopped him. "You're not going with us." He stated firmly. That surprised Gear as he took a slight step back.

"What do you mean? I'm turning this guy in." Anger once again seeped into his voice, not wanting this psychopath to go unpunished.

"No, we're turning him in. You're going to go see you friend." Gear stood completely still at hearing those words. Virgil. He hadn't visited Virgil since this whole thing started. _How was he doing? Had his condition change? Dear God! What if he got worse? What if he wouldn't survive the night? _

Batman took Gear's silence as a sign to leave. And so he turned, ready to leave, but he only got a few steps before Gear's quiet voice made him pause. "Thank you." Batman saliently nodded before following his teammates inside. Richie stood outside for a few minutes. Just stood there thinking, honestly not sure what to do. How long had it been since he had seen his best friend? 2, 3 days? A week? He didn't know. And now that he thought about it, when was the last time he was at home? When was it that he had poured his heart out to his father? When he had last seen his mother? Well, he did know one thing, and that was that he was here, at the hospital, only a few seconds from his friend, and that's where he was going.

So, with that final though, he flew off the building and toward the window of the room where Static was being treated. Peering into the window, the young hero spotted Sharon fast asleep, her head resting on her brother's bed, and Mr. Hawkins sitting close by, a cup of coffee in hand, eyes never leaving his son. With a _swoosh_, Gear opened the window, surprising Mr. H for a second before he saw who the intruder was, soon putting his finger to his lips to show that Gear should be quiet, then pointing to his daughter.

"How are you two holding up?" Asked Richie, removing his helmet.

"We're doing okay." Mr. H, taking a good look at Richie's face, saw the fatigue lining his young face. "How about you?"

Richie let out a short sarcastic laugh. "I'm fine, don't worry. I actually bring you good news." Pausing slightly, he continued. "As well as bad."

Cocking his eyebrow, Robert motioned for Richie to sit down, but he refused. "What happened?"

"We found the guy who did this to Virgil, but…" His voice caught in his throat as his stomach did summersaults. "But it's highly unlikely he'll go to prison for what he did."

The anger that appeared on Robert's face was obvious, but just as he was getting ready to yell, Richie stopped him. "He's psychologically unstable. He, um, he has multiple personalities. When one personality is in control, the others usually don't know what's going on. He's missing time frames in his life. We only got to see one side of him for a little while before another took over. A more aggressive side. We literally watched him fight himself."

Mr. Hawkins stared in shock, wanting to say something, but at a complete loss of words. Finally, Richie broke the silence. "How's he doing?" He asked, indicating to Virgil, who still lay motionless on the bed. To the young hero, it appeared as if nothing had changed since he'd last been to visit him.

"He's still the same." Sighed Robert, and as Richie looked at him, he noticed the bags under his eyes, and the way his shoulders slumped. Richie wondered when was the last time Mr. H had gotten a full nights rest. _Probably the night before this happened you do-do head! _ I mentally berated himself.

"Hey, Mr. H, why don't you get some sleep, I can take over watch for now, and I'm sure Sharon isn't going anywhere."

Robert shook his head, tired as he may be, he wasn't about to leave his son. "No, I want to be here when he wakes."

Richie knew that there was no way of making him truly leave for at least an hour of sleep, so he opted for something much simpler. "Alright, then how about just getting a hot cup of coffee. I'm sure that'll do you a ton of good."

Robert sighed in defeat, that hot cup of coffee sounding extremely tempting at the moment. "Alright Richie, I'll go get some coffee."

Before he even knew what he was doing, Richie had moved in front of Mr. Hawkins and stood in front of the door. "Don't worry about it. I'll go get it." He'd been at the Hawkins place more than his own, and knew by heart how Mr. H liked his coffee. He smoothly slipped on his helmet and was out of the room before Robert could protest, which was fine with him, because he was just about ready to fall asleep standing.

Richie didn't know why he had decided to leave the room. Maybe because he couldn't stand all those machines. No, that couldn't be right. He had visited people on life supports before, but this time it was different. This time….This time it was Virgil. His best friend. The whole time he had been there, he had barely been able to look. It wasn't like he didn't want to, he did. The young hero just couldn't' bring himself to do it. Not yet.

He only made it halfway down the hall before bumping into someone. It was a young man, probably about a year or so older than he was. They both stumbled slightly, the man apologized with a small laugh and a, "Sorry, head in the clouds," before he realized exactly who he had bumped into. "Oh, I'm so sorry, seriously man, I…"

Gear put his hands up to show that everything was okay, also letting loose a slight grin. "It's okay, no damage done."

The young red head ran a shaky hand through his messy hair, not sure exactly what to say. "Oh, I heard about Static. Is he okay?" Worry clearly lased his voice.

Gear sighed, not exactly sure what to say. "He…m…He's stable."

"Not good, huh?" The man saw right through him. "By the way, name's Jason." He said, extending his left hand. Gear noticed instantly that it was in fact his left hand that was being extended and not his right. Jason laughed slightly before answering the unasked question. "Heh, sorry. I confuse people like that a lot." He moved his right hand up, and Gear instantly realized that it was fake. "I'm hear to learn how to use this thing. Brand new."

"I…" They young genius was dumbfounded.

"No worry, just trading the old one in for a new model. I haven't had it since I was, like, five." Looking at his watch, Jason smiled before continuing. "Well, gotta go. Hope Static gets better soon." He said as he ran off down the hall.

Shaking his head, Gear continued on his way, wondering why he was so surprised by the fact that someone could be happy while crippled. That thought led to another. _What if, for some reason, Virgil's crippled after this? What then? He'd be devastated! What if…What if I'm just thinking too much? I need to calm down. I'm not thinking straight anymore._ _Well,_ he thought as he reached the waiting room, _All that should be fixed with a hot cup off coffee. Coffee fixes everything…

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_

Sorry, it's so short. But hey, at least I updated right? Hmm, and if your wondering, I don't think I'll be doing anything with Jason. I probably will though, since I put him in the story and all. But honestly this is just kind of a filler chapter. I'm not sure exactly what will happen in the next chapter, but I really hope you all liked this one! So please review!


	11. Echos

(Gasp) Could it be? Has this story ACTUALLY been updated without months of waiting? Yes boys and girls, it's true. I have updated this story, and you didn't have to wait half a year. Thanks to all those who reviewed!

**Trecebo: **Yes, I did in act update, and I'm sure you're pleased that this chapter was updated so quickly. And thanks, I'm glad that Richie's emotions came across well, thanks for reviewing!

**Kate Maxwell: **Mutation eh? Should be interesting. Can't wait to read that. And I'm glad your enjoying the story. And yes, it'll be a long road to recovery. Thank you for reviewing!

**Goddess of Twilight: **I have enough trouble talking to my own voices, thank you very much, I don't need to talk to other peoples. And I don't even read the other stories, so I wouldn't know how good or bad they are, but I'm glad that you're still reading this one, it means a lot to me. So thanks for reviewing!

**Genny: **Is this your first time reading and/or reviewing this story? Just curious. Anyway, you'll find out soon enough. MUAHAHAHAHAHA! Stay put and find out! Thanks for reviewing!

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Chapter 11-Echos 

he halls were quiet as Gear made his way back to Virgil's room, holding a tray with three cups of coffee incase Sharon woke up. He wasn't sure how long it had taken him to actually fill those three cups. Well, actually, he was. He just didn't know how long he stood in front of the coffee machine. Either way, he found himself thinking about…everything. From the time he and Virgil had met, to weird middle school romances, all the way through finding out they had powers. Not in great detail, though. He just scanned his memory banks, not paying attention to anything that might keep his attention longer than a quarter of a second.

And so, within minutes, he found himself back at his best friend's room. He hesitated. In all honesty, Richie Foley wasn't sure if he could face the scene that awaited him. The last time he had been in the room, his full attention had been on Mr. Hawkins. Now? Now he didn't know what he would do. How could he not look at Virgil? Then again, how could he not look away? With the final thought of having to be there when his friend needed him, Gear opened the door and let himself in.

Inside, he found that Sharon was in fact awake. Releasing a small grin, he handed both Mr. Hawkins and Sharon their cups of coffee before grabbing his own and throwing away the paper tray. With a sigh, he looked over at Virgil, and for the first time, realized that he didn't have his mask on. Slightly unsure of himself, he looked at Mr. Hawkins, who seemed to read his mind and nod in approval for the young hero to sit next to his partner. Putting the steaming cup of coffee on a side table, Richie took off his helmet, not realizing that Mr. Hawkins and Sharon had made a silent escape, leaving the two alone.

Richie sat quietly for a few minutes before slowly taking his friend's hand in his own. "Hey Virg. Still just as lazy as usual, huh?" He smiled grimly as looked on his friend's tranquil face. Not sure exactly what to say, Richie grabbed his best friend's hand and just kept talking. "We caught him. We caught the guy who did this to you, but…But he's, um…He's crazy Virg. He'll get away with a plea of insanity. They'll probably just put him in Arkham or something." A tear went unnoticed as it trickled down Richie's face. "You better make it through this man. If anything, just to spite the damn part of that crazy man that shot you. You need to come back Virg. For Sharon, a…and your dad…And…and…me…Virg, yah gotta come back." Tears where now gushing down the young man's face, but he didn't care. He just let them keep falling. "Please." He whispered. His grief and exhaustion took over as the young hero found himself drifting off to sleep, his hand still gripping the hand of his best friend.

_Looking around, Richie saw nothing but darkness. Looking around, he wondered exactly what it was that he was standing on. There was nothing there. Nothing solid to support him, yet there he was, standing in the middle of…Nothing._

"_Hello!" Richie yelled into the darkness, hoping for a response. When none came he tried again. "Hello? Is anybody here?" Out of nowhere, a light seemed to appear, shining on nothing in particular. It was just there, shortly followed by a familiar voice. _

"_Hey, what's up Rich? Why yah hiding in the dark." Virgil stepped into the light and moved forward, advancing on his friend, lights turning on all around them. Richie was confused, but logic didn't seem to matter. Virgil was there, he would explain everything. _

_A grin appeared on Richie's face as he replied. "Looking for you."_

"_Well you came to the right place." Virgil's grin seemed to widen. The two boys exchanged high fives and slight pats on each others backs._

"_Where are we, exactly?" At this, Virgil's smile faltered slightly before they heard a loud, crazy-like laugh eco around them. Virgil and Richie stared in shock, looking for any possible source of the laughter. Suddenly, Virgil's face fell in fear as he backed away slightly. "What's going on Virg? Tell me!"_

"_The have a gun Gear." Virgil whispered in horror, unsure of what to do._

"_What?" Richie was confused. Who had a gun? What was Virgil talking about?_

"_That's right, and you're not going anywhere." Before them, a masked gunman appeared, a psychotic gleam in his eyes. _

_Courage seemed to overtake Virgil as he stepped forward. "You're not hurting anybody else!"_

"_Oh yeah, and who's gonna stop me?" Richie stared between the two, finding he couldn't move to support his friend's actions. _

"_I am!" And everything went haywire. That horrible gunshot echoed in Richie's ears. He watched in slow motion as the bullet made it's way out of the gun and toward his friend. Unable to move, he tried to worn Virgil. Tried to yell at him to move. But no-matter how much he yelled, Virgil didn't move. Everything was quiet except Richie's sobbed out yells. _

_And before he knew what happened, he heard Virgil yell in pain as he fell to the ground, and suddenly, they were back at the bank. Static's body lay writhing in pain, Gear running at top speed to get to him. He lifted Static's head off the ground, trying to get him to say something. _

"_Virgil! Virgil! Come on man, stay with me!" Panic filled Gear's eyes, watching Static's head turn to face him._

"_You took to long." Static breathed out. "It's your fault I'm here." Anger lased Static's voice, his eye's blazing with rage._

"_No…No…" Richie gasped, staring back at his friend's angry face. "I tried. You know I did…I…"_

"_You weren't fast enough." Virgil whispered before his head lolled to the side, now unconscious. Darkness replaced the bank again, a lone light shining on the two heroes, the only sound was the young blonds sobbing. Then a loud shrill sound filled his ears. One long constant beep. _

_Looking down in horror at his friend, Richie tried to wake him. "Virgil. Virgil wake up! VIRGIL!"…….._

"Virgil. No…Wake up…" The young teen muttered in his sleep. "Please…please…" He suddenly awoke with an anxious hand on his shoulder.

"Gear, wake up, we have to let the doctor's work." Mr. Hawkin's voice was lased with worry. Looking around, he saw a team of doctors and nurses swarmed around Static's body, the shrill sound of a flat line hanging in the air.

One of the doctors turned to face them. "Please, leave the room, we need to work." Richie remained seated in shock. He just kept staring at his friend's unmoving face, hoping he would suddenly wake up and laugh. Just laugh. He didn't care what he laughed at, he it his glasses or the sweater he was always wearing. It didn't matter what he laughed at, he just wanted him to laugh. He just wanted to smile.

Those thoughts were put aside as a nurse escorted him and the two remaining Hawkins out of the room, leaving the team of surgeons free of distraction. Gear kept staring through the window that had been kept closed while they had been inside, which had now been opened. Sharon broke down, crying on her father's shoulder. Mr. Hawkins tried his best to comfort his daughter, but he too had tears flowing how his face. But Gear didn't notice, he just stood staring into that room, where his friend lay. _"You weren't fast enough." _ The words echoed in his head….

* * *

Sooo, what did you think? I hope you liked it! I know, I know, evil twist right? Well, before you all starting heating up you torches, let me just tell you its all part of the fic, so please don't be angry with me. Anyway, I was wondering if you guys wanted to have Jason play some sort of role in the fic. I'm not sure. I could probably work him in, but I just want to make sure you will all enjoy it. So please tell me in your reviews what you all thought of this chapter, and whether or not to put Jason in. I'll take the majority. Thanks for reading! 


	12. Rest

(Cries) Poop on you all. I only got two reviews. Oh well, better then none I guess…

**trecebo: **I'm glad you liked the dream. I wasn't sure if I made it effective enough. Hmmm, yeah, having Bats talk to him would be cool. Thanks for the idea, although I won't be using it in this chapter...not really anyway. Thanks for reviewing!

**zizzy333: **Yes, I know, twists are evil, but I'm sure you'll enjoy this one. Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

Chapter 12-Rest 

Gear stood shocked, watching as doctor's and nurses examined his best friend. _It's all my fault. None of this would have happened if I hadn't convince him to go into that damned bank in the first place. And then…Then I took too long getting that password. It was just a stupid password, and I was too stupid to find it any faster! Damnit! He's going to die and it's all my fault…._Before he had any more time to yell at himself, he head a loud cheer coming from inside the room. Confused, the young hero kept watching as nurses adjusted machinery and doctor's examined their patient.

Looking over, Gear saw Mr. Hawkins and Sharon were just as equally confused. _What the hell? _Deciding that the few seconds he had stood waiting since the cheer were much too long, Gear made his way inside the room, scanning every millimeter of equipment as he got closer.

"What's going on? What happened?" His voice was now laced with the slightest traces of anger, but confusion was the most obvious emotion.

One of the doctors, supposedly the lead surgeon, began talking. "We don't know. It seems as though his energy suddenly started up and somehow messed with our machines." Fatigued, Richie couldn't comprehend what the not-so-subtle clue and huge grin represented. He also didn't notice when Mr. Hawkins and Sharon walked up behind him. "Don't you get it? He's alive. The more conscious he becomes, the more energy he uses". And then it hit him. _Of course! He needs to be at least somewhat conscious to be able to use his powers. He needs to ALIVE! _

"He's alive." Gear mumbled, a huge grin spreading across his face. "He's alive!" The young hero shouted, turning to huge the just as excited Hawkins. "He's gonna make it." Gear said with a final sigh before darkness overtook him.

* * *

The need to somehow pry open his eyes was not readily accepted. He was tired and sore. It was comfortable in the darkness, why should he leave? And then he remembered. Remembered his best friend in the hospital, his desperate search for the guy who put him there, the crooks discovery, and…and… 

"Virgil?" Richie mumbled, suddenly feeling a cold compress on his forehead. With a groan, he tried to move. But a mysterious hand prevented this action.

"Keep still Richie. Everything's alright." Who was that? It wasn't Mr. Hawkins, that was for sure…

"Dad?" Richie pried his eyes open, just enough to make out a blurry image of his father standing over him. Once again, he tried sitting up, and, like before, his dad stopped him.

"Richie, please, just lay still." That was his mothers voice.

Giving up, the youth settled back into the pillows. _Wait…pillows? Where am I? _ "What happened?" His voice was slightly shaky, and noticeably weak.

"When you found out Virgil was okay, you passed out. Seems as though you've been running purely on adrenaline since this whole thing started, and you finally shut down. How do you feel now son?"

Thinking for a few seconds, his stomach decided to answer for him. "Hungry." He mumbled as his parents laughed slightly. "And tired." He added as an afterthought.

"You should be. You've got a temperature of 100. 3." Replied his mother and she removed the cloth from his forehead, dipped it into some cool water, and placed it back to it's original spot. "Why don't you get some rest, and we'll go get you something to eat." His mother continued, looking over her child.

Richie watched as his parents left, but before he could even think about sleeping, his dad popped his head back in. "You've got company." He said before leaving. Turning toward the door, the young hero watched as the League entered his room.

"How yah feeling kid?" Asked Flash the instant he zipped over.

"Okay." Richie replied, not even noticing the fact that his mask wasn't. on. Why should he? They already knew who he was.

"Sure you are." Retorted Green Lantern, a smirk lighting his face.

"How's Virgil?" Richie asked, trying to sit up, and once again having someone push him back down, except this time it was Batman.

"Still out. That slight energy use was a little too much for his system to use up."

_Jee Bruce, gentle lately? _ Thought Flash as he decided to put everything in…nicer terms. "Don't worry kid, he should be fine. The doctors are feeding him energy now. A little at a time. He should be sitting up and complaining about his hospital food in no time."

Richie grinned slightly as his eyes drooped. Content with the knowledge that Virgil was truly fine, he let himself slip back into unconsciousness.

Unknown to the young genius, the conversation continued.

"Virgil's clear," started Flash, "But what about him?" He asked, motioning to the now sleeping Richie.

All eyes came to rest on the hero. "I'll have a talk with him." Said Superman.

"No." Batman broke him off before he got a chance to say anything else. "I'll talk to him."

Questioning eyebrows rose from all his teammates, but nobody ever dared to argue with Batman. J'onn knew what was going on. "That's a good idea. They boy's mind is still troubled. He needs someone who will listen." The other Leaguers nodded and made their exit, leaving Flash alone with him.

"Take care of yourself kid." Flash whispered before zipping out of the room.

* * *

Sorry it wasn't very long. Actually, it was freakishly short, so sorry 'bout that, but I hope you liked it! It was yet another filler chapter with a happy twist. 


	13. The Bat and It's Pray

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? NO! It's an update!

"But how can this be?" You ask. "Months haven't passed yet! It must be some sort of trick!"

No my wonderful readers. No trick here. I just found myself writing this soon after I posted the last chapter, mostly because I didn't feel too comfortable with Chapter 12. And although I finished this the same day I posted the last chapter, I decided to give everyone a chance to read that before reading this. So, on to my wonderful reviewers…

**Kate Maxwell: **Don't worry, all will be explained in this chapter. Thanks for reviewing!

**Goddess of Twlight: **No worries, I forget to review sometime too. And thanks, I'm glad you don't mind the shortness of like, all my chapters. I'm also glad you like how the story is going. Thanks for reviewing!

**zizzy333: **Yes, I like happy twists too. And, like I just said, I'm glad you don't mind the short chapters. Thanks for reviewing!

**Linschickrule10: **Thanks, I'm so happy that you're enjoying the story. Thanks for reviewing!

**WolfDaughter: **Yeah…Sorry it took so long. But hey, this one came pretty fast, didn't it? Hope you're happy about that. And I'm not sure if my Richie/Batman thing came out all that well, or at least not up to what you would have expected, but, well, it's what you're getting.

Okay, something really weird, both **Goddess of Twlight **and **WolfDaughter **say they think they wrote a review to me. Um, I don't know what happened to that, but it wait neither e-mailed to me, nor is it in the stories Review section. So, if you wrote a review, and I for some reason didn't respond to it because I didn't get it or forgot, please tell me. I don't like leaving people out….Plus, it makes me feel better. :D

And now…One with the story!

* * *

Chapter 13-A Bat And It's Pray

Trying to watch Flash zip around the waiting room was NOT a relaxing way of passing the time. Actually, John was getting quit a headache. Making his way to the trash can, he couldn't help but peer inside and see the thirty or so discarded coffee cups and three empty boxes of donuts, all of which was obviously Wally's. Looking back up, GL saw slight glimpses of a red streak and within one hundredths of a millisecond, he saw it again. Rubbing the bridge of his nose in a useless attempt to be rid of the headache, he finally looked up, much to his distaste, and tried to find that damned red blur again.

"Flash. Would you stop it already?" And suddenly, out of nowhere, stood Flash, eyes darting around the room.

"How long's it been?" He asked right away.

Sighing, John looked at the waiting room clock. "Five minutes."

"What?" Behind the mask, Wally looked slightly panic stricken. "Jeez. I hope the kid's okay."

"Why wouldn't he be?" Asked John, finding that all he had managed to do in stopping his best friend was increase his headache.

"Would YOU be okay in a room for five minutes with Bat's…alone?" There was a slightly sarcastic tone his voice, but traces of fear also found their way in.

Looking down at the floor and then at the room where said Batman was, John shook his head. "You're giving me a headache." He finally admitted. "I'm too old for this."

Wally had to smirk at this. There were very few times where ANYONE in the league admitted this, and when it happened, the young speedster took full advantage. "Race yah!" And with that, he zoomed off, back to the lounge was John's assumption. The place never seemed to run out of free donuts.

With a sigh, he sat back down and watched the shadows of Batman and Gear through the curtains. Smirking slightly, John had to admit something to himself. "No Wally, I don't think I would be okay."

* * *

Six minutes ago…..

Richie looked on with disgust at the stuff the hospital considered to be 'food'. Probing the 'mashed potatoes' he was slightly shocked when they decided to probe back. Giving up, he decided to stick with the apple, which seemed to be the only non-living thing on his tray. _When I get out of here, I'm running a chemical analysis on the gunk here. _Looking out the window, he absentmindedly bit into his apple and was relieved when it tasted like, well, an apple.

"What are you thinking about?" Richie was startled when he heard the unexpected voice and turned to face Batman.

"Nothing. Man, you really scared me there for a sec." Batman didn't seem to pay attention as he made his way out of the doorway and toward the hospital bed.

Looking over the monitors, the human bat continued talking. "Your fever's down. That's good."

"Yeah, I guess." Richie sighed, his thoughts straying to Virgil. "How is he?"

It was obvious who 'he' was. "Static's doing better. But I'm here to talk about how you feel."

Richie was now officially terrified. Batman had a reputation of showing no emotion, and not being in the mood to listen to other peoples problems. But here he was, standing in the young hero's hospital room, asking him how he felt. _I must've accidentally eaten some of the hospital food. _Rationalized Richie.

"I…I'm fine." His lye convinced no-one.

"No. No you're not. Tell me what's bothering you." Batman had by now eased himself into a chair…a not so comfortable chair…but a chair none the less.

"I…." Sighing, Richie stared at his bed sheets. "It's all my fault." He whispered. He hadn't intended to say it, it just…came out.

"Why?" Batman knew exactly what to say, exactly when to say it. He didn't ALWAYS play bad-cop, just most of the time.

"Because….Because he would have never entered that bank. I **made **him go in there. Virgil was scared. If I hadn't pushed him to go, he wouldn't be lying in a hospital bed right now, fighting for his life."

"And civilians would be dead." Stated Batman, trying to get the distraught teen to reveal everything. "He knew the risks before putting on the suit, and so did you."

"Yeah but…they never had guns before. Powers sure, but not guns. The crooks would eventually give up anyway. Some people were already dead when we got there." Richie had a distant look in his eyes, and his voice remained completely emotionless.

Waiting a minute before talking, Batman continued the conversation, knowing the only way for the teen to ever get over it was to let it off his chest. "What happened?"

"The guy…Reed….Reed just…just shot him. I wanted to help, I really did but…he wouldn't let me. Said he'd shoot Static again if I didn't crack the password. I…I didn't know what to do. People were…were screaming, and crying, and…and dying Batman. They were _dying_." The last word was a shocked whisper, and he was once again staring into space. Bruce wasn't sure if he should keep probing or let the kid rest, although he would never admit that to anyone else. But, much to his relief, he didn't have to choose, because Richie continued talking. "I worked as fast as I could, but a little while later, one of the guys he…he got scared or something…and he sh…shot me. But…but I had to keep working. By the time I was done, so was Virgil. He…He had stopped breathing…he was blue. I don't know how long it took me, but…but I brought him back. He started breathing again."

Batman could see that Richie was reliving the whole horrific experience as he retold it, envisioning everything. Each plead, each gasp, the very smell of blood, and the feel of his own sweat pouring down his exhausted face.

"It ended there. Everything was just…over. The robbers were gone. They were GONE! They got away! The damned basterds got away!" He was yelling now, tears streaming down his face as he glared as Batman. "I let them get away damnit! It was my fault they got away!"

"What would have happened to Virgil if you had caught them?" This seemed to strike Richie as he just broke down, no longer able to maintain even the slightest of composure, much like he had with his father. He fell into the expecting arms of Batman and wept. Neither knew for how long, but Bruce was willing to wait.

* * *

Running around the room, Flash finally came to a halt in front of John, who had finally given up on avoiding his headache and had instead settled for a hot cup of coffee.

"How long has it been now?" Flash asked anxiously.

With another sigh, John looked at the waiting room clock. "Five minutes since you last asked."

"You mean Bat's has been in there for TEN MINUTES! The poor kid is probably bat-chow by now!" Just as the words came out of his mouth, he heard a door opening behind him. Before you could blink, Flash was standing next to Batman as John walked over to them and Bruce closed the door quetly.

"How is he?" Asked Flash the instant the door was shut.

"Sleeping." A hint of a smile appeared on the dark knight's face. "He's going to be fine." And with that, he walked away, leaving no doubt in John's mind that he was headed toward the lounge.

Sighing, Flash slumped down in one of the waiting room chairs, which he had zipped over to once Bat's had left. "Where do you think he's going?" Asked Wally once John was next to him.

"Same place you went." He replied, staring absent mindlessly at Gear's door.

"And where would that be Mr. Detective." Mocked Flash.

"The lounge." Flash gave him a quizzical look.

"Why would he go there?" He was confused. How did GL do that?

"Because the cafeteria food's inedible." He said as he stood up and followed the path that Batman had gone down only seconds before. Flash stared at his friend's back for a few seconds, unsure exactly what to think.

_You know, he's right. You can't eat the gunk that they serve patients. _ And, with his trade mark grin, he ran off after his friend.

* * *

Hmmm, I tried adding humor into this, so tell me what you all think. I really hope I displayed Richie's emotions well. I feel like I'm getting kinda drained doing that lately. Yes, I know Bat's is slightly out of character, but it had to be done for the well-being of this chapter. Oh, and don't ask where the other Leaguers are, just pretend they're off doing something important. Ending world hunger, uniting all planets in peaceful unity. I don't care. They're not here because they're not important to the story. Sorry all you fans of Sups, J'onn, WW, and HG, but they're not gonna play too big of a role in this, and pretty soon, neither will the rest of the League…Or at least, that's my plan for now. I could always change my mind. Yah never know!

Well, anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please review!


	14. Death on a Plate

GAH! Sorry it took so long again. I've been really, REALLY lazy. And, I'm going to tell you right now, I don't really like how this chapter turned out. But, it's an update, and all those still reading, and somehow enjoying the story, I hope you like this chapter. Now, to review responses…

**Goddess of Twlight**- I'm glad you thought so. And yes, I do read DC comics, but not much Batman. Anyway, I'm glad that you enjoyed the last chapter. Thanks for reviewing!

**Trecebo- **YAY! Another person who thinks Bat's wasn't out of character! Yeah, I also felt that nobody else could have had that kind of a talk with Richie, although it might have been fun trying to make it work with someone else. :P. Thanks for reviewing!

**Kate Maxwell –** I'm glad that the last chapter cleared a few things up, and I'm happy that you liked the humor. I thought the story needed some so it wouldn't become a tear-fest. Okay, I'm now reassured that Batman wasn't really OC, because you're the second person to say he's not. YAY! Thanks for reviewing!

And a thank you to **shadow dragon goddess04**, **zizzy333**, **Kid Flash IV**, **WhiteVeils, lins, and gear'sgirl09 **for reviewing. It means a lot to me. Sorry again for the looooooong wait, and no, onward to the story!

* * *

Chapter 14- Death on a Plate

He had counted every damned dot on the ceiling. Every single dot. Do you know how many dots are on 1/4th the ceiling of a private hospital room? 685,237,846, 546,225,493,596,687, 438, . He had even recounted to be sure. The TV had inevitably broken, and Richie had fixed it…Then had Flash rewire it so he'd have something to do when the other hero's left. Right now though he was waiting anxiously for Flash to come back with his doctor.

Richie had been cooped up in that hospital room for the past three days. That was MUCH too long for him. Every time someone had come to visit he had asked about Virgil, and every time he had heard the same pleasing news; he was doing better. Flash had been back and forth for the past few minutes, obviously trying to occupy himself just as much as Richie was. Five seconds before the doctor came into the room, Flash zipped in and warned the young hero to put his helmet on.

With a slight click the door opened and Dr. Haley stepped in, scanning his patient's chart. Grinning, he set it down on a nearby table and removed his glasses.

"So kid, you ready to get out of here?"

"You bet." Replied Gear with a grin rivaling that of the doctor's. He was fully dressed in his uniform and would have been standing had Flash not pushed him into a wheelchair just one millionth of a second ago.

Dr. Haley laughed and handed over the release forms, Batman having signed in all the correct places. Now Gear just had to put his signature on the pieces of paper and he was home free. Taking the clipboard, he quickly signed where he had to before handing them back to the doctor.

Taking the release forms, the doctor looked over the young hero. "Come back in about a week so I can make sure that wound is healing up well. I don't want you as a patient again, yah hear?" He asked with a smile. Gear nodded as he was wheeled out of the room by Flash, who as soon as they were out of the doctor's watchful eye, zipped down the corridor and into the elevator. When they finally halted, Richie managed a breath.

"Wow." Was all he could say as Flash stood there laughing at his dumbfounded expression.

"Bet you've never done that before." He laughed. Gear, still slightly shocked, shook his head no before his mouth spread into a huge grin.

"What would Batman do if he found out you just did that?"

"Probably scalp me….slowly." Flash replied as he eyed the security cameras apprehensively. "He's probably watching us right now." They both laughed at that. Calming down, they waited for the elevator doors to open. Gear fidgeted slightly, not sure if he was fully ready to see his best friend yet. Before he could protest, he found himself in front of Virgil's hospital room, Flash already tapping on the door.

"Have you ever heard of taking your time?" Gear asked, a quizzical look on his face. Flash simply shook his head and replied with a 'Nope.'

Sighing, he prepared himself to enter the room just as the door opened, revealing a very happy Mr. Hawkins.

"Ri…Gear, it's good to see you out of bed. Sorry I could only come once, but we were busy up here." Grinning, he stepped aside and let Richie in.

Instantly, the young hero's eyes moved to the bed, now only a heart-rate monitor by it's side. Not fully sure as to what to do, seeing that Virgil was sleeping, he glanced around uncertainly. Receiving a nod as if to say that he should go ahead, Richie wheeled himself to the bed. Looking over his friend, he was relieved to see that the breathing tube had been removed and was replaced by a nasal canal. His eyes wandered to the thick bandaging around his friend's midsection. Everything after that was covered by the thin hospital blanket, only leaving the teen's arms visible as they lay atop the sheets. He was paying so much attention to every beep the machine made, he didn't notice Flash and Mr. Hawkins leaving.

"You gave us all a huge scare. Man, don't you ever flat-line on me again." Richie looked down, fidgeting uncomfortably in his chair.

"Don't worry, I wont." The words were hoarse, but Gear's head flew up to meet the smiling face of Virgil Hawkins. A smile spread across his own face as he nearly jumped up to hug his best friend. Seeing that Richie wasn't about to do anything except stare, Virgil continued talking. "Rich, in case you haven't noticed, rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

The blond teen couldn't help but laugh at the over-used TV line. "Still can't crack a joke, can yah?"

"Sure I can, you just don't understand my marvelous sense of humor."

"Well, I got a question for yah V-man. How do you like the food here?"

"Death on a plate." Looking around, Virgil noticed the not-quite half eaten lunch. Nodding toward it, he asked, "Want some poison?"

"No thanks, I too had to live through that trash they call food." They both laughed, and it felt good. With a sigh, Richie somberly changed the subject. "All joking aside, how do you feel?"

The smile faded slightly from the young hero's face, but he seemed to catch himself before his face fell into an all-out frown. "Like I got shot. But no worries, I'm still in one piece aren't I?"

Sad eyes looked down again. "Yeah." Mumbled Richie, unsure of what else to say.

Virgil, noticing his friend's discomfort, wasn't about to mention the nightmares. Deciding to change the subject before too much tension built up, Virgil broke into a patent smile. "How about you? I heard you fainted when you found out I was alive." He couldn't help but laugh slightly at Richie's bewildered expression.

"I…I didn't faint, I…I passed out!" Defended the blond. "There's a difference yah know!"

"Sure there is Rich, sure there is."

* * *

Well, there's the chapter. I know it wasn't much, but I promise you that there WILL me character interaction between Richie and Virgil about the bank robbery. So, please review! 


	15. School's a Nightmare

Sorry for the long wait everyone, but the story's finally here, so I hope you like it!

**shadow dragon04**- Sorry for the long, long, LONG wait, but it's finally here! The new chapter's finally here! Hope you like it and thanks for reviewing!

**Goddess of Twilight**- Thanks, I'm glad that you enjoyed it, and I hope you like this one just as much, or hopefully, even more! Thanks for reviewing!

**trecebo**- Thanks, I'm glad you liked Flash; he's such an awesome character. And there is a convo here between Richie and Virgil, but this it's a light-hearted scene, as opposed to the one's they're going to be having later. Anyway, hope you like this chapter, and thank you for reviewing!

**Gen**- Hmmm, I guess I put things like "Blond boy" and "Young hero" in so I don't always have to say Richie and Virgil. That seems a little plain to me. And no worries, this is NOT a Virgil/Richie romance. There are already too many of those on this site. Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you like this next chapter!

**Richie'sgirl09**- I'm SO SORRY to keep you waiting, but I was having writers block, and in between school, practice, and friends I haven't had much time to update. Anyway, if you've written something, I think you should post it. But before you do, it would be smart to get a beta reader; my biggest mistake was not having one. I'm glad that you're enjoying the story, and thanks for reviewing!

* * *

Chapter 15- School's a Nightmare

"School sucks." Mumbled Richie as he pulled on his sweatshirt, catching his glasses as they fell.

This brought on a laugh from Virgil who was now sitting up in bed, the pillows supporting him. "Glad I don't have to go."

"Yea, well, you still need to do all the makeup work." Virgil scrunched up his nose as Richie laughed at the disgusted look on his best friend's face.

"I'm sure you'll be happy to help me."

Richie huffed. "Don't count on it."

"Aw, come on man. Otherwise you might graduate without me, and I'll lose self-esteem, quite being a hero, give up on school, and live out the rest of my days as a bum in from on Safeway."

"Well," Richie smiled. "_I'm _not gonna help you, but I'm sure Daisy will be happy to." With that said, Richie exited the room, leaving a bewildered and dumbstruck Virgil alone.

"Richie!" Hearing his name, the teen turned around and within seconds found himself in the bear hug of death.

"Frieda…Let go." Richie gasped. "You're chocking me."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Letting go, she examined her friend. Eyeing him, she could see that he was messaging his arm where he had been shot. "Jeez, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to make it worse. Are you okay?"

"Frieda, calm, deep breaths. I'm fine, just a little sore. You didn't make anything worse."

Biting her lip, she eyed him cautiously. "You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Richie grinned. It was good to be back. "So, what have I missed?"

"Not much. We had a test in history, but that was pretty easy, there was a lot of physics homework, um…" Thinking, Frieda looked around, making sure nobody would hear what she was going to say next. "Although, Gear should have no problem catching up with homework." She giggled slightly at the surprised look on Richie's face. Of course he remembered that he had told her, but he hadn't expected her to bring it up so quickly. He turned a few times to reassure himself that no one had heard before turning back to Frieda.

"What are you trying to do, tell the world?" The shocked and somewhat angry tone in Richie's voice made Frieda burst out laughing.

"You don't really think I'm that stupid, do you? Don't worry, I'm not gonna tell anyone." Taking on a more serious appearance, she forced herself to ask what she really wanted to know. "By the way, how's Virgil doing? Last I heard, he was awake, but I didn't get any details."

"He's doing better. The doctor said he would be out in about two or three weeks, but he won't be back at school for another month or so."

Before Frieda could say anything, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of school.

"I'll see yah later." Called Richie as he started jogging to his next class.

"Bye!." Yelled out Frieda as Richie disappeared into the crowd.

* * *

"Richie!"

"Hey man!"

"Long time no see!"

Everyone's voice bombarded him at once as Richie walked into his first period class, grinning after two seconds of shock.

"Hey guys. What did I miss?" Richie asked as he sat down near the back.

"Dunno, I was sleeping." Replied Paul with a laugh. Richie smiled at that; Paul was always sleeping, no matter what class it was.

"Not much." Daisy said as she took her seat next to Richie. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better, thanks."

"Yeah man, you and Virg had us all freaked when we found out what happened." Said Brian, who had turned around in his seat to face Richie.

"By the way, how is Virgil?" Asked Daisy, concern clearly playing across her features.

"He's getting better. By the way, what did you guys hear about what happened anyway?"

"Not much; just that you and Virgil were two of the people who were injured. It's kinda weird though that you guys got shot in the same places Static and Gear were hit, don't yah think?"

Richie was about to answer when the bell rang and the teacher walked in, starting first period math, and half the students nap time.

* * *

"No! Stop, get that thing away from me!" Virgil fought desperately with his imaginary assailant, the hospital covers twisting and turning with each motion. His eyes tightened as his gripped the sheets as if they were his life line.

"Virgil. Virgil, wake up son." Mr. Hawkins shook his son, trying to wake him up from yet another nightmare.

"Please, no." Virgil sobbed, his struggle subsiding. A few stray tears made their way down his face.

"Virgil! It's just a dream, it's not real son. Wake up."

Forcing his eyes open, Virgil scanned the room, his eyes portraying the terror and pain he had just experienced. He didn't recognize where he was, but that didn't matter when he saw his father.

"Dad…." The word was whispered, said in the same tone of a five year old who had just awoken in a dark room. No more had to be said as Robert pulled his son into a hug, holding him as the teen's body shook, tears staining his father's shirt. There was no noise besides the quiet sobs. Father and son stayed together, Virgil holding on to his dad until he fell asleep in his arms.

Robert, as gently as he could, lay his son back down on the bed, sending up a silent prayer to allow his son to sleep in peace. Virgil had been having nightmares of the bank robbery every day since he woke up, and Robert was having a hard time watching, feeling helpless as every time Virgil slept, he fought inner demons that refused to die.

* * *

Sorry for yet another short chapter, but at this point I'm just trying to update. As you've noticed, all the comidy is pretty much over with this chapter; we're going back to angst, so buckle up everyone, it's going to be one emotionaly bumpy ride. 


	16. Booriing

**GASP**. Can it be? Why yes it is. Here it is, the latest chapter of Gunfire! **Waits for applause but only hears crickets**. Oookay then….time for review responses…

**Trecebo:** Yes, and as opposed to the previous tiny chapter, I made this one longer to make up for lost time…lots and lots of lost time…Sorry about that.

**Kate Maxwell: **Yeah, I'm not really looking forward to writing the recovery process, but since I started it, I might as well end it. Oh, and I guess I didn't make it clear enough, but Virgil's in the hospital under the name of Static, because if you recall in chapter 2 I think, the paramedics took 'Static' to the hospital, not Virgil. Hope that cleared up a few things, because you definitely need to know that for this chapter.

**Girlie G:** Ok, so it's not exactly _soon _but its an update. Sorry about the long wait.

**Goddess of Twlight: **Yes, the angst is coming, although there isn't that much of it in this chapter, but don't worry, it WILL come. And about the Daisy/ Frieda thing, I'm not sure. I'm not into romance fics, so this definitely isn't going to be romance, but Daisy/Virgil is implied, not much, but it is. Sorry, and I hope you keep reading anyway.

**Shadow dragon04: **Yeah, he's haunted by it. He's gonna have to work through that in the upcoming chapters. Sorry it took so long to update, but it's here now, so please enjoy!

**Richie'sgirl09: **Yea, Valentines Day is a fart, especially when you don't have someone to spend it with, and even more so when your sick, although I'm sure by now your feeling all better. D Um…no….Virgil and Richie won't be getting together in this or any or my stories. Sorry, but I'm just not a slash kinda person. Well, I hope you enjoy the story anyway!

**Cartoonluva94: **….Well….um….its asap…but it's here! Hope you like the chapter!

**RealityBreakGirl: **Ah, don't worry about not reviewing earlier. A lot of the time I too don't review, mainly because I'm just too lazy, although it IS appreciated, so don't go getting the idea that I don't want you reviewing. Anyway, I'm glad that you like how the story has been going, and I hope that you keep on enjoying it.

**To the anonymous reviewer: **I apologize for that comment. It wasn't intended to offend anyone, I was just stating my opinion. I should have written it differently. What I meant to say was that I'm not a fan of slash, and that in my opinion there are too many V/R slash fics here. It just makes it harder for reader like me to find something to read. Now, I'm not saying I'm against gay couples, never, especially since I'm friends with gay people, and they're totally awesome. Again, I'm sorry if I offended you and any other writer/reader who enjoys and supports slash stories.

Chapter 16-Boooriiing

"Stop! No! Get it away from me! Wha…What re you doing?" Tangled sheets covered and trapped the young man as his frantic movements continued on the hospital bed, sweat pouring down his face. "Please, no….please…." His face contorted in pain, both from the dream and his injuries as his voice slowly died down.

Waking with a start, Virgil quickly sat up, pain shooting through his side making him hiss. Once the pain subsided, he looking around the room, taking comfort from the white walls and seemingly over sterilized smell. With a sigh, he lay back down in the hospital bed.

Day and night, nightmares of the bank robbery plagued him, and when he wasn't sleeping, images flashed through his mind, never leaving him in peace. He vaguely wondered where his father was before looking at the clock and realizing he was at work. The clock also didn't fail to point out that it was a little past noon, making his stomach grumble for lunch.

Making sure that his mask was on, he pressed the call button and waited patiently for the nurse. It didn't take long, and he was soon sitting up with the help of the bed, with a lunch tray in front of him and the TV tuned to 'The Three Stooges." _I can't believe that this is the best thing TV can play in the afternoon. _Virgil thought as he took another bite out of his…well….he wasn't really sure about that; it was either mashed potatoes or a salad. Either way, he supposed it was edible, seeing as how he'd been eating every day for God only knows how long and he was still alive. _Then again, it could be one of those slow acting poisons that only works if you mix it with some other chemical like…Wow, freaky, starting to think like Richie…Never letting that happen again…_

Deciding that "The Three Stooges" were getting on his nerves, he flipped to the TV Guide Channel and groaned as he saw all channels that weren't available to the hospital. _When I get out of here I'm suing this place for attempted murder through boredom. _He finished off the rest of his lunch with the TV turned off and tried to figure out what he could possibly do. He thought briefly about counting the dots on the ceiling, but then decided against it, figuring that Richie probably already knew. _Although, if I count it and get a different number then him, he'd probably be so determined to prove me wrong he'd re-count it again. _Virgil smiled at this, but knew that he was just too lazy to actually go through with it.

_Sleep? No, that's all I've BEEN doing. _He briefly glanced over to the wheelchair that sat across the room from him, practically begging to be ridden. His grin grew wider as he suddenly thought of something to do.

* * *

"I think I liked the hospital food more." Grumbled Richie as he picked up his spork and started eating the macaroni and cheese. Frieda giggled as she sat down next to Daisy across from Richie. 

"So, how's the first day back?" Asked Frieda, taking a bite of the lunch.

"Okay I guess. Nothing that interesting, although people asking about the bank robbery is really starting to get annoying."

Daisy looked up from her meal, curiosity and worry showing in her eyes. "By the way, how's Virgil?"

Swallowing his food, Richie smiled slightly. "He's fine. Practically up to his old self. I'll bet you that in a few days he'll be driving the doctors insane." Hearing this, Daisy brightened up and three continued there meal with lighthearted conversation.

* * *

"WOOHOO!" Static laughed as he sent the wheelchair his was sitting on rolling at dangerously high speeds down the hospital corridors, doctors, nurses, and orderlies trying desperately to catch up and stop the electricity-happy teen before he crashed into someone or something and risked further injury. Unfortunately for them, that was the last thing on the young hero's mind as he dodged patients and staff and swerved yet another corner, barely missing a head-on collision with the book cart. 

But, alas, his powers and energy were still limited, and he quickly came to a stop at the end of the hall way, gasping for breath as he held onto his mid-section in pain. As soon as one of the doctors reached him, he quickly started examining the hero, making sure he hadn't caused more damage to his still healing wound.

"You could have killed yourself." He stated worriedly, noting with disappointment that a few of the stitched had been torn.

Looking up with a glint of amusement in his eyes and a smile on his face, Static replied. "It was worth it." He soon found out what his short excursion had cost him as he began a coughing fit and before he knew what was going on, a breathing mask was being placed over his mouth a nose and he was being wheeled back to his room. He smiled tiredly behind the mask. _So worth it.

* * *

_

_Finally, 6th period. _Grinned Richie as he walked into his last class. He had been extremely bored throughout most of the day. Without Virgil, there was nobody to talk to, and although that gave him plenty of time to tinker with new gadget ideas, as well as ways to improve existing ones, talking was still more entertaining. Suddenly, his cell phone started vibrating. Taking it out to see who would call him in the middle of class, he wasn't the least bit surprised to find that Virgil had sent him a text message.

Making sure that the teacher couldn't see, he flipped open the phone and read the message. **Hotstreak and Shiv are trying to rob a jewelry store.**_ Figures. _Faking a groan, Richie held onto his injured arm, getting a curios glare from Mr. Boring, as most of the students had labeled him. Sure it wasn't very creative, but it fit.

"I don't feel well. My arm really hurts." His teacher was about to say something when Richie winced, his face contorting in pain. "My doctor said to see him immediately if it started hurting this bad again."

"All right Mr. Foley, but I want a note from your parents tomorrow."

"Sure thing." And with that, Richie grabbed his backpack with his good arm and quickly left the classroom. Once outside the room he rushed into the nearest bathroom, made sure it was empty, and changed as quickly as possible.

* * *

Arriving at the scene, Gear was instantly greeting with a ball of fire hurtling toward him. Dodging it wit practiced ease; he flew toward the two criminals. 

"Hey look, it's Inspector Gadget." Laughed Shiv, dumping a bag of jewelry into what Gear assumed to be their getaway car.

Hotstreak gave his companion a disgusted look when he heard the horrible joke. "Shut up and fight." He groaned as he threw another fireball at the hero. Dodging it once again, Gear threw a zap cap at Shiv, temporarily leaving him out of the fight.

"Let's see how long you can avoid going up in smoke." He threw two more fireballs, and in the few seconds it took Gear to dodge them, Hotstreak had nearly made it to the car, before he was wrapped up tightly and laying face down on the ground.

"It won't be that easy Hotstreak." Stated Gear as he came closer.

"You're probably right." The metal around him was starting to melt. "But getting rid of one is easier than two, especially when that one is you."

Gear laughed. "Didn't know you were such a poet Francis." The metal binding Hotstreak melted through, allowing the fire wielding teen to snap it off, his eyes blazing in fury.

"Word is that you let Static get shot." Mocked Hotstreak, throwing a few more fire balls. "That you we're smart enough to save your own partner, when he was right next to you!" Hotstreak laughed, but suddenly stopped when he saw the anger that consumed his opponent.

"I'm going to make you eat your words!" And before he knew what was going on, Gear was punching and kicking him, ignoring the painful fire that licked his skin. In seconds, Hotstreak was doubled over, hugging his stomach in obvious pain. Gear kicked him one more time for good measures.

Shiv, having just recovered from the shock of the zap cap, started running up behind the hero, who was catching his breath, rage still seeping through him. Making sure to be quiet, Shiv was just about to slice Gear across the back when he elbowed the unsuspecting criminal in the stomach and tossed another zap cap at him as he stepped up, once again knocking him out.

Stepping away from the criminals, he allowed the cops to take him away as he looked at his forearms which where now slightly burned. With a sigh, he started flying toward the hospital. _Virgil's gonna have a hissy fit when he hears about this. _This made Gear smile; never before had either of them actually went as far as beating up the bad guy.

* * *

Walking into Virgil's room, he grinned as he saw his friend flipping though the channels, desperately trying to find something to watch. 

"Hey V-man, I heard what you did. Very nice." Richie sat down in a chair as Virgil laughed.

"I thought so too, but the people here seem to think that I was 'endangering myself.' But hey, I figured I'd rather die flying through the hospital on a flying wheelchair than from watching 'The Three Stooges'."

Cocking an eyebrow, Richie glanced at the TV and then back at his friend. "Did you really watch that?"

"Yes, I did. Pity me." The two burst out laughing.

"It's not that bad you know." The voice of Robert Hawkins made the two teens stop laughing, glance at the father, back and each other, and then erupt into another fit of laughter.

* * *

Richie had fallen asleep in the hospital room. After Virgil's dad had arrived, he had excused himself from the room, anticipating the lecture that was about to come. Almost an hour later Mr. Hawkins had come out of the room, muttering something along the lines of 'Why'd it have to be a boy?' Richie had soon after scurried back into the room, giggling at the disgruntled look on his best friend's face. They had spent the rest of the day talking and going over missed homework assignments, and before they knew it, the two had fallen asleep, books, papers, and writing utensils spread both across the bed and floor. 

"Don't! STOP!..." Richie started coming around, hearing his friend's distraught please. The please soon turned into a scream of agony, which fully awoke the blond teen as he sat up in his chair and his eyes tried to adjust to the darkness.

"Virg?" He whispered, worry lacing his voice.

"Oh God…I'm shot….Hurts so much." Richie rushed over to turn on the light before running back to his friend and tried to wake him up.

"Virg? Virgil, you gotta wake up man, it's a dream, it's only a dream."

"Richie?" The name was spoken in a tear filled voice, but Richie saw that his friend's eyes were still tightly shut.

"Yeah man, it's me, I'm here."

"Richie…help…." The words were whispered, and where the last thing said before Virgil went back into a more peaceful sleep, leaving a shocked and newly guilt ridden friend to sit dumbfounded and staring at his best friend, who now lay sleeping seemingly peacefully.

* * *

Ok, tell me what you all think. Now, before you go yelling at me for dissing 'The Three Stooges', I gotta tell you that I've never even watched that show. I just needed a show to put in there and it was the first thing that popped into my mind. And, if anyone didn't like the fight scene, I'm sorry, but I'm really bad at that stuff. I put it in because I figured that the criminal would be attacking now that Static is out of the comition for a while. If you actually want more fight scense, then tell me, but if nobody want them, they wont get written; they'll be mentioned, but not written. Well, anyway, as you can tell, this chapter was pretty lighthearted until the end, and yea, the beginning, but now that that's over with, we're gonna go back to the original angstyness that the story started out as. And I'll try and update faster next time, but I'm not making any promises. 


	17. Nightmare's Guilt

Yes, yes, I know, like always, it took forever for me to update, and I really hope it was worth the wait, but before the story, here are the review responses…

**Goddess of Twilight: **Hehe..Yeah, I have horrible spelling. --' Oh well, I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Anyway, I'm sorry, I haven't read your story, but, well, it's summer break now, so I'll have more time on my hands. Well, I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

**Trecebo: **There aren't going to be any more fight scenes in the story anymore, so nobody will have to suffer through them. And yes, Gear does need a punching bag. There's plenty more guilt issues coming up, so stay tuned!

**RealityBreakGirl: **I'm glad that you enjoyed the hospital food thing. I've personally never eaten it, but I'm definitely not in any hurry to try it. And you're right, where do they get all the green Jello? Hmm…You just gave me a fanfic idea! Anyway, I hope you keep on enjoying the story!

**Shadow dragon04: **Yes, poor Richie, but that's nothing compared to what I' going to make them go through in future chapters. _Evil grin._

**Kate Maxwell: **Hey, I'm glad that you liked the last chapter, and I hope that you like this one too!

**WolfDaughter: **Yes, both Richie and Virgil are going to have to sort through their feelings about what happened, and this next chapter is going to do just that…Well…sort of...Glad you like the story!

* * *

Chapter 17- Nightmare's Guilt

The morning's sun was definitely NOT what Virgil to wake up to. In fact, he didn't want to wake up at all. Groaning, he lay an arm across his eyes in an attempt to block the sun out, and although it did help, he knew there was no way he'd be able to fall back asleep like that. Wondering why the blinds were even open in the first place, as they were usually closed in the morning, Virgil looked over at the window. He was surprised to see a silhouette of Richie staring out the window and at the already busy streets of Dakota.

"What time is it?" Virgil asked groggily.

Without shifting his gaze, Richie shrugged slightly. "Probably around ten thirty." He stated flatly.

Confused by his friend's behavior, Virgil hoisted himself onto one elbow and faced his friend. "Hey man, you okay?"

Again, Richie didn't move, but replied in that same monotones voice. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Virgil was taken aback by the question. _Tell you what?_ "What are you talking about man? What haven't I told you?"

"The nightmares. Why didn't you tell me that you were having nightmares?"

He didn't know what to say. Of course he hadn't told him about the nightmares. Only his father knew, and he had intended on keeping it that way.

"I…I knew you felt guilty about what happened. I….."

"You didn't want to tell me that you blamed me for it." Richie hung his head slightly, still not turning to face his friend.

Virgil was silent, but he didn't know why. _Of course I didn't blame Richie…right? No…No…of course not. How could I? He saved my life…._ Something at the back of his mind nagged him. _He made me go in there though…Nothing would have happened if we hadn't gone in that stupid bank…NO! That was wrong…I….We…_

"We're hero's Richie. Getting hurt's part of the job description."

His response was delayed and the fact that Virgil hadn't opposed his statement was all Richie needed to confirm his doubts. Sighing, Richie started to leave. "Yeah. Sure."

Before Virgil could think of what to say, his best friend was out the door. Gently lowering himself back onto his bed, the teen groaned. _What now? _He wondered as he lay there staring at the ceiling.

* * *

Richie walked slowly down the street, not paying attention to where he was going. He was moving on automatic, placing one foot in front of the either without the conscious realization that he was doing so.

Within the hour he found himself in his Gear uniform and sitting on one of the giant hands of Dakota's clock. He sat there all day, only moving when the hands changed positions and was no longer able to sit there. Then he'd just find a new spot on the clocks hands and remain there until he once again had to move.

Most of the time he was numb, impervious to everything, including his own thoughts and emotions. The times when he wasn't, he wished he was, because then Richard Foley started to think. Not of new gadgets and world saving devices, but of the friend he had left in the hospital. Of the friend who had talked to him during recess of kindergarten when nobody else would. Of the friend who had helped him find his glasses when Steven Berts had thrown them across their middle schools court yard. Of the friend who had helped him ward off more bullies then he could remember. Of the best friend he had almost gotten killed. Virgil Hawkins probably hated him.

* * *

"Have you seen Richie?" Daisy asked as she entered the computer lab where Amy Jones was were working on an essay.

"Nope, sorry Daisy. I don't think he came to school today." Thanking the girl, Daisy left to search the halls for Frieda, who hopefully had heard something about their missing friend.

The two ran into each other in the middle of the courtyard, Frieda having also been searching for her friend.

"So you haven't heard from him either?" Frieda asked, disappointed at the answer she received when she had asked for news on Richie.

"No. Virgil said that he just left the hospital without saying anything to him after…."Daisy paused, not sure how to fraise what Virgil had told her, but lucky she was saved from having to explain it.

"Yeah, I know, he told me too. God I hope he's alright."

"Virgil or Richie?"

Frieda thought for a second. "Both."

* * *

"Do you blame him?" Virgil was about to protest the question, but Sharon cut him off. "Honestly Virgil. Even if only a small part of you blame's him, Richie will know, and so will you."

Thinking about it, Virgil sighed. "Yeah. I guess a part of me does hold him responsible."

"Why?" Virgil had requested Sharon's help after he couldn't find his missing friend. Not only did he need her help as a psychologist, but as an older sister.

"I…Because I…."Virgil bowed his head. He couldn't do this. He couldn't explain to his sister how he was feeling. How he had felt when he had stood hovering above the bank knowing that there were people in there with guns, and people who had been hurt by those guns. He couldn't explain to her that slight amount of anger he had felt when his best friend had nudged him along to go into that bank, where the scent of gun smoke and fresh blood still lingered in the air. He couldn't explain the fear of looking into the barrel of that gun and having flashbacks of seeing his mother on the night she died when he had gone back in time.

He didn't realize that he was crying until he found himself in Sharon's gentle embrace, her voice soothing him. "It's ok Virg, let it out. You don't have to tell me, just let it out. It's alright."

* * *

I am SOO sorry that this chapter is so short, but it was only meant to introduce the problems that Richie and Virgil are going to have to work through. Well, I hope you enjoyed it, and please review! Thanks. 


	18. Only Time Can Tell

HA! Bet you weren't expecting me to update so fast, where you? Well I did, and it's now almost 11:30, which proves how dedicated I am. (I'm usually in bed by now…I know, I'm a loser.) Anyway, here are the review responses! Oh, and speaking or reviews, I'm proud to announce, that thanks to all the reviewers, I've reached **ONE-HUNDRED **reviews! YAY! D cough ahem, anyway, as I was saying...

**Goddess of Twilight: **I swear, I WILL read your stories…I just haven't yet….BUT I WILL! And thank you, that was one of my favorite chapters to write.

**Kate Maxwell: **Yeah, it sure is gonna be a long road…But knowing me, I'll probably lose my patience and rush it a little. I don't know if I'll be able to write the whole recovery process, but I'll try.

**RealityBreakerGirl: **I might to with the green jello idea if I can think of a way into making it into a one-shot. I've got the idea, I just don't know if I can make it work. We'll see. Anyway, I'm glad that you liked the last chapter, and I'm glad that I answered your question…sort of…I think?

**Trecebo: **Um…actually…I'm still debating about the ending of the story. It could go either way at this point. Well, however the story turns out, I hope you keep on reading and enjoying it!

* * *

Chapter 18- Only Time Can Tell

"Have you heard from him yet?" Mr. Foley's worried voice asked desperately over the phone.

"No, I'm sorry, but we'll keep looking." Mr. Hawkins replied, and after exchanging a brief goodbye hung up and sighed, looking at the sleeping form of his son.

They had spent the last two days searching for the missing hero. Adam and Sharon had checked the old gas station, Frieda and Daisy had gone from house to house of friends asking questions, and the Foley's had called up any and all family and friends they could think of. Virgil had helped, telling his father where Richie would most likely be, but Robert knew that his son was holding something back, he just wasn't sure what.

With another sigh, Mr. Hawkins turned and left the room while calling the Youth Center yet again to see if there had been any sign of Richie.

Waiting a second after he heard the door click shut, Virgil cautiously opened his eyes to make sure that the room was in fact empty. Once he was confident that nobody was watching him, he moved the wheelchair closer to the bed using his powers. He knew what he was about to do was probably the stupidest thing he had ever thought of doing, but that thought didn't concern him as he wheeled himself over to where his uniform hung, untouched since it had been stripped off of him before the surgery. He was slightly shocked to find that it wasn't the same uniform. This one had a shirt; the shirt he had worn during the robbery was now nothing more than a pile of shredded fabric. Not only that but there was a clean coat/cape, and if he remember the telling of the story correctly, the other one had been covered in his own blood.

Deciding that pondering the mysterious exchange of clothing was a waste of time, he quickly started to change, something he found was near impossible without causing himself pain. It took a total of twenty-three minutes to change, and after that he sat gasping for breath for another four minutes. Thinking for a second that maybe he shouldn't do this, he pushed the thought out his mind, grabbing a breathing mask as he wheeled himself over to the window. Taking out his disk, he unfolded it, and using his powers, made himself hover slightly before sitting down on the disk.

_Now or never Static. _Taking a deep breath, Virgil, now in full Static uniform, flew away from the hospital, praying that he lasted long enough to reach his friend.

* * *

Six A.M. was the perfect time to sit on the clock. There was an exact ninety degree angle, and whoever was sitting on the hand could stay in that same position without the worry of falling off for an hour. But, the occupant of the clock's hand had no such worries, and in fact, a small part of him wished the stupid hand would move, giving him a reason to briefly occupy his mind with finding a new rest position.

"Got room for one more?" The new voice shocked Gear out of his musings, and the owner of the voice shocked him even more. In front of him stood, or rather sat, Static, a tired grin on his face.

"Virgil! What are you doing here?" As fast as he could, Gear moved over to his friend and helped him unto the clock's hand, Virgil's full weight resting on him. Sighing tiredly, Virgil groaned slightly at the pain in his side. Holding onto the stitched up wound, he rested his head against the clock.

"Thought you might like some company." He whispered, sweat trickling down his face.

"You could have killed yourself." Richie wanted to yell, and within seconds, found that was exactly what he was doing. "What the hell were you thinking? What if you had run out of energy? Lost consciousness?"

"I had to find you." The tired hero muttered, turning to face his exasperated partner.

"You could have died Virgil!" Tears where starting to pool in the enraged teen's eyes. "Again! You could have died again Virgil, and…and…And it would have been my fault! It would have been my fault again!"

"It was never your fault to begin with." Virgil didn't know how much longer he could stay awake, but he knew he had to try.

"You're lying! You don't believe it, why should I?" Tears of rage streamed down Richie's face.

"If I…" Virgil had to stop to take a few breathes. "If I didn't believe it, would I be here?" Breathing was getting harder by the second, and the teen's vision was starting to turn dark around the edges.

"I…" Richie didn't know what to say, and suddenly his anger was gone, once again replaced with guilt and now worry as he looked at his best friend. "Virgil?" Concern was clearly evident in his voice. No response. "Virgil?" There were traced of panic now.

"I hear ya'." His throat was dry and a coughing fit seized him for a few seconds. When he regained his composer he felt his friend's arm around his shoulders and the other feeling his forehead.

"You have a slight fever." Guilt was now lacing itself into Richie's voice.

"What was your first clue?" Virgil grinned groggily, wondering for a second where he was and why the hell he was there. He could feel Riche digging around his coat, and he soon felt the breathing mask he had brought along being placed over his mouth and nose.

"I'm taking you back to the hospital." Virgil could feel his arm going around Richie's shoulder and being lifted up, his full weight once again resting on his friend.

"Sounds good." That was the last thing he said before his world went black.

Picking up his now unconscious friend, Gear started flying them both back to the hospital, once thought ringing clearly in his mind. _Yes, Virgil, you'd still be here. Even if you thought I was the one who pulled the trigger, you'd still be here._ Richie had to wonder if it was a good or bad thing.

* * *

Pacing back and forth in front of Virgil's room was getting Gear nowhere. He had brought the hero back to the hospital about half an hour ago, yelling at half the personnel to help Static and the other half about their inability to keep an obviously badly wounded patient safe and in his room.

Both his parents and the Hawkins rushed to the hospital as soon as he contacted them, and after a brief explanation about what happened, Robert and Sharon had rushed into Virgil's room while the Foleys, along with their son, went to talk in private. Richie had quickly answered all the questions his parents could throw at him, as well as the burning, 'Why did you disappear like that?' question. That one took a little bit longer, and his parents where now in their car driving home, their question still not answered.

Finally mustering up the courage to see his friend and face his family, Gear knocked gently on the door. Upon receiving a 'Come in,' the hero quietly opened the door and peered in. On the bed lay Virgil, a newly replaced nasal canal and heart monitor attached to the sleeping form. Coming in fully, Richie gently closed the door behind him before taking off his helmet.

"How is he?" Richie asked, nearly whispering. Looking around the room, he noticed that it was only Mr. Hawkins who was in the room, and Richie quickly decided that Sharon must have gone home while he had been with his parents.

Looking up from his son's face and into that of Richie's, Robert grinned slightly, although it was a forced grin. "The doctor's say he's going to be ok, just as long as he doesn't pull anymore stunts like that."

Richie hung his head. "It's my fault." He muttered.

Robert had been expecting that, Sharon having filled him in on what was going on.

"That's just something you two are going to have to talk about later, but for now, you should get some rest. You still have school tomorrow." Richie didn't respond, but instead stood gazing at the floor.

Robert was about to leave when Richie suddenly spoke. "He does blame me you know. He might not want to admit it, even to himself, but I know he does. I saw it in the way he looked at me, the way he spoke." He was now looking at Virgil, feeling the guilt eating away at him, and not having the slightest idea about what to do next.

* * *

Phew. Well, what did you all think? I raised the rating a little bit because, well, I think I'm going to put in an even more serious issue, so, well..GAH! NO! I won't tell you! You'll have to find out as I go along.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the latest chapter, as well as the horrible pun for a chapter name…If you don't get it, well, that just makes it an even worse pun…Oh well, please review!


	19. Razor's Edge

Hey, I'm back, yet again with a fast update!Everyone gasps Yes, yes, it's true, I've update. This chapter is a little short, but…slight spoiler…it's a heavy impact chapter…so, before I ruin the story…Review responses!

**Kate Maxwell: **Yeah, I figured Virgil would do that. I had fun writing it, and yes, only time will tell. Thank you for humoring me and my pun.

**Quillian: **Thanks, I appreciate it. It's always nice to know that there are still new people reading this.

**Goddess of Twilight: **Good pace huh? I think I might have rushed this new chapter a little, but I'm not sure. It's a pretty common title, so I wouldn't be surprised if a lot more people used it. I had writers block when I had to name it, what else can I say?

**Trecebo: **The guilt isn't laid on too heavily, is it? If it is…well…after this chapter…nope, I wont ruin anything…just tell me if you think I should mellow it down a little with the guilt.

**RealityBreakGirl: **Yeah, that's exactly the kind of guy Virgil is. I think that's probably the most in-character thing I've written throughout this entire fic.--' And yes, poor Richie with the guilt…but trust me, it only gets….thought I'd tell, did you? You'll just have to read to find outf!

* * *

Chapter 19- Razor's Edge 

Richie poked at his lunch with his spork. He had been sitting at the outdoor lunch table for half an hour and the food had yet to make its way from the trey to his mouth. Richie hadn't even looked at the food to find out what it was. He occasionally examined his surroundings, watching other teens in groups with their friends, laughing at some joke or talking about their latest class. Frieda and Daisy had tried talking to him, but had given up and left when he didn't respond for fifteen minutes.

The bell soon rang, signaling the end of lunch. Richie quietly got up and deposited his lunch and made his way to class, not paying attention to the waves or shouts of greeting hurtled his way. The class, like his lunch, was ignored. His teacher had even tried calling on him to answer a question, but it fell on deaf ears. This, of course, was unacceptable, and Mrs. Tam made a point to let the absentminded teen know this.

"Mr. Foley, if I recall, you're still a student here, and you must answer the questions just like all the other students." No response, and Mrs. Tam was not one to go crying to the principle when her students were disobedient. Taking the giant Webster's dictionary, she dropped it on Richie's desk.

_**BANG! **_

Richie literally jumped from his seat, eyes filled with terror scanning the room.

_The sound of the gunfire vibrated throughout the entire room._

"Mr. Foley!" Mrs. Tam was getting annoyed at her student's antics. Once again, she dropped the book to get his attention.

_**BANG! **_

His eyes grew, fear, worry, and anger all fighting to be seen. All winning.

"_What's taking to long!"…_._"I thought you would have finished two hours ago."….no pulse…_

"Mr. Foley?" Mrs. Tam's voice started to show concern, something that rarely, if ever happened. Something was definitely wrong. "Mr. Foley?" She gently placed a hand on his forearm, but he quickly jumped away. It had accomplished its goal though, as Richie was now looking at Mr. Tam through somewhat clearer eyes.

"I…I'm sorry…" It was all he could think of, and suddenly he felt every eye in the room on him.

"Why don't you go down to the counselor. He can…"

"No, no, I'm fine." Riche tried to play off a grin. "I was just daydreaming, that's all, nothing to worry about."

Mrs. Tam didn't believe a word of it, but she couldn't argue as Richie sat down, and as started to flip to his notes when Mrs. Tam tried again to help. "Why don't you go to the bathroom? Help wake yourself up a little."

Richie nodded in defeat, deciding there was no point in arguing, but as he stood up his finger managed to cut itself on the paper he was still holding onto. Grimacing slightly, he decided to ignore it and walked out of the room and to the boy's bathroom.

Standing over the sink, Richie noted that his finger was bleeding from the paper cut and the blood was slowly dripping into the sink. Staring at it with a sort of aw, he couldn't help but marvel at the red liquid. The very liquid that pumped through his veins, as well as every other mammal's on the planet, that kept everyone alive.

A sudden thought struck him. _What would it feel like to just let the blood flow? Would it really be that bad if a few droplets of blood were lost? Surly not. Virgil lost a lot and…It would be like making things even, right? _

Nodding his head in approval of this idea, Richie quickly dried off his no longer bleeding finger and left to go back to class.

* * *

A small part of Virgil wished that he hadn't gone after Richie the other night. No, he didn't regret getting his friend back, what he did regret was the pain that it had cost him. The heart monitor was irritating to say the least. He had the intense urge to scratch, but he knew that the stupid thing would come off and alert every doctor, nurse, and orderly in the hospital that he had died. It did last time, and he had to spend ten minutes reassuring everyone who had run into his room that he was ok; he had to practically hold onto his mask which he had hurriedly put on when he had heard them coming into his room. 

Right now though he was watching MTV, and the dancing girls in the music video were keeping him entertained. His lunch stood in front of him, half eaten; he had learned that he wouldn't get anything better until he could handle solid foods, something he had also learned not to try. He had asked…or threatened, however you wanted to put it…one of the nurses to bring him something he could chew. She had, of course, protested, but eventually the idea of getting stuck to the ceiling made her change her mind. Static had spent a good hour after his attempted 'real meal', puking. And so, he had settled with the mashed potatoes and jello.

Sighing, he leaned back into his pillows, whishing that his abdominal muscles weren't so sore and tight. He had woken up that morning wondering why his wound hurt so much, last nights little excursion temporarily forgotten. When he remembered he could have kicked himself for not making sure that Richie was really ok. Sure he had gotten him to come back, but that didn't mean anything. He didn't know if what he had done had really hit home, and he prayed to every God and other powerful being he could think of that his friend was truly ok.

* * *

Standing in front of his bathroom sink, Richie eyed the small knife in his hand. The logical part of his brain was yelling at him to put the stupid thing down and go do his homework; everything else was canceling out the logic. Without a second thought, Richie applied the knife to his wrist and swiped it across. Hissing at the sudden pain, he soon forgot about it as he stood, fixated with the blood like he had been earlier with the paper cut. The blood flowed, but Richie's mind calculated, and he knew that it wouldn't be enough to kill him, and so the urge to stop the bleeding didn't rise up until a few minutes later when the teen started feeling lightheaded. 

Grabbing a few bandages and clothes, he started to wipe away the blood on his wrist as well as the surrounding area. As he wrapped up his wrist, his logic started yelling at him, telling him that this would be the last time, he had made things even, he was done. Once again, everything else screamed back, saying that it wasn't enough, that Virgil had bled more, suffered more. A few more times, and then…then they'd be even.

* * *

Aren't you all starting to love my corny titles? lol Well, please review and tell me what you think! …not about the corny title, about the story…. 


	20. Trickling Flood

I didn't realize until after I posted the last chapter that in writing what I did, I bit off more than I could chew. Now, I'm not saying that this story is done, no, not at all. But because of it, I'm unsure of how I'm going to end the story. I had planned a happy ending a few chapters ago, but now it's morphed into something out of my control. So, I'm nearly just as much in the dark about what's going to happen as you are.

And now, for review replies…

**RealityBreakGirl: **I used the info on the 'up and down' cutting thing in the chapter…although, not in a good way…You'll see. Yes, it is really bad, and I'm sorry to say that it doesn't get any better in this next chapter.

**Trecebo: **I was actually going to have him stop in that last chapter, but after reading your review I realized that you were right, and that it would be wrong to just make things better after a few cuts. I'm glad that trust me with handling such a delicate subject.

**Goddess of Twilight: **Um…hehe…--'….you'll see, but I don't think you'll like it.

**HouseMD.HuGh LaUrIe: **I promise I'll do my best to make this a realistic and un-sugar coated as possible. I know that it's not going to be easy, but I'll try.

* * *

Chapter 20- Trickling Flood

"Richie! Hey Richie, wait up!" Daisy called as she jogged up to her un-attentive friend. Despite her yells, he had continued walking on as if nobody was there. "Hey Richie, you ok?" No response. This was starting to become a habit, and honestly, she was tired of it. Stepping in front of him so that he couldn't keep going, she glared at her recently air-headed friend. "Richie, what's wrong with you? What's going on? Your grades are slipping, you barely eat anything at lunch. This has been going on for a two weeks!" Richie remained unmoving, seemingly unfazed as one of his best friends tried to get through to him.

Sighing, Daisy lowered her head before looking up, pleading eyes trying to find blank ones. She searched those eyes, trying to find…something…Anything. But there was nothing, not even pain. They were just two empty orbs, simply there to make it appear as though their owner knew of his surroundings. "Richie, I went to visit Virgil yesterday." There was a slight twitch, and it was so tiny Daisy could have sworn she imagined it. "He said you haven't come to visit since…since you disappeared two weeks ago." Those eyes remained empty, looking at Daisy while looking through her. She hated how familiar that look was becoming.

Before she could say anything else, the bell rang signaling the beginning of school. As Richie walked carelessly past her, Daisy forced herself to hold back unshed tears and grin at a few friends who were moving toward her.

* * *

"His parents are scared Virgil." Sighed Robert as he sat next to his son's bed.

"I am too." Virgil replied, looking down at his covers and shifting uncomfortably.

"Has he been by to see you at all?" Asked Robert hopefully, but seeing Virgil shake his head no, his hopes took yet another nose-dive. "Mr. Foley said that he's barely eating, that they practically have to force-feed him. Said that his teachers were calling, asking what was wrong, and why Richie hasn't been participating in class as much."

"He's guilty dad." Virgil muttered, looking up from fiddling with the bed sheets and into his father's eyes. "He still blames himself, and I just wish I knew why."

"Nobody except Richie himself truly knows." Robert said, a small part of him starting to accept defeat.

"No, he's not the only one." Startled, both Virgil and Robert turned to see Mr. Foley in the doorway. "The day after the robbery, he came to see me. To tell me what happened." He started as he made his way into the room and into a chair. Looking at Virgil, Mr. Foley knew he had to tell him what had happened.

"Virgil, he blames himself for taking too long." At receiving a confused look from the teen, the concerned father knew that his son hadn't told his friend about what had happened while he was lying unconscious in the bank. "After they shot you, they forced him to crack the bank's password. Problem was, it was a new system. Right off the assembly line. It took him a few hours, hours he knew could cost you your life."

"But I'm ok. I'm going to be ok, so there's nothing for him to be guilty about now, right?" Virgil asked, concerned eyes dashing from his father's to Mr. Foley's. When his only answer were the looks of worry on the father's faces, Virgil's face fell further. "What's he doing to himself?" He was scared to know the answer.

Letting his head drop, Mr. Foley shook his head. "I don't know, but I pray to God I did."

* * *

The drop of crimson liquid ran smoothly down the pale forearm before gently sliding down to the elbow and hanging off the joint for a few precious seconds until it took its final plunge into the awaiting sink below. In no time, a second droplet followed the previously made course and it too took a swan dive into the white porcelain. Pretty soon, tears of anguish and hatred mixed with blood, both on the weakening teen's arm as well as in the reddening sink.

Richie had moved fast, and within six days, simply cutting horizontally wasn't enough. He had started to become creative after experimenting with cutting vertically, avoiding any major blood vessels. He knew the risks, and somewhere at the back of his mind, logic at least still held some control. In the first week, he had simply been doing it to make sure that things were truly even with Virgil, but as the days wore on, his fascination had grown. The life supporting liquid holding him mesmerized as it trickled away from his slowly dying body.

He had started experimenting, cutting different parts of the inside of his forearm to see what would cause him to bleed more without actually bleeding to death. He would cut strange patterns, some even becoming more than simple lines; there were curves and criss-crosses. He started timing himself to see how long he could stay bleeding until the need to pass out surfaced.

He hadn't made the conscious decision to do any of that, but his scientific mind had quickly grabbed hold of the opportunity to study the human body, even if it was his own.

* * *

Oh God, I know you're all going to hate me for this chapter. It's short, and well…jeez I'm treading on thin ice here. I understand that cutting is really serious, and although it might seem a little odd that Richie's 'experimenting', he IS a genius, and like any scientific mind would, he took the chance to study. Please don't kill me for this. 


	21. The Fall of Angels

Yes, yes, I know, it took FOREVER to update. But school started, and I simply haven't had time to do it. I knew what I wanted to happen in this chapter, I just couldn't figure out HOW I was going to make it happen. Anyway, I've finally updated, and I'm so, so, SOOO sorry it took so long. Please don't hate me.

**Trecebo: **Thanks for the review, and yes, I've brought in a whole new scary to the story. I feel so horrible --'. Anyway, I don't feel like bringing the League back. This is a personal issue and I want it to be dealt as such. The super hero gig is on halt for these two. Well, I hope you enjoy it non-the less.

**RealityBreakGirl: **I have no promises for you about that ending. All I have to say is keep on reading to find out. I'm sorry it took so long, and I hope you're still reading. Thank for reviewing.

**James Wilson: **Um…diligent in updating huh? I wish. It was summer break and I had some free time on my hands. Unfortunately, as you've probably noticed, I no longer have that luxury. Anyway, I'm glad that you're enjoying the story, but like I believe I've said to other reviewers, I'm not about to sugar coat anything. If there's one thing I can assure you, this is no 'happily ever after' story. Hopefully that won't keep you from continuing to read the story. Thanks for reviewing and enjoy!

**Goddess of Twilight: **Yes, very touchy subject, and I still can't believe I'm doing it. I'm glad that you're enjoying it though, and I'm sorry about the cutting. I also know people who have done it, although, their reasons were much more selfish. I really hope I can make this realistic. Thanks for reviewing!

**Jessica Pryce: **Yes, I know it's overused, and I'm sorry. It just kinda popped into my head, but I'm glad you like it anyway! Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

Chapter 21-The Fall of Angels

The room started to spin and multiply. Looking around, Richie desperately grabbed at the bloodied towel, missed, and landed heavily on the floor. Shakily sitting up, he once again reached for the towel and started to stop the bleeding. Within a few minutes he had his arm re-bandaged with practiced ease and uneasily made his way to his room, where he collapsed in a drained heap on his bed, unconsciousness claiming him in seconds.

"FREEDOME!" Static cried out as Rubber band Man wheeled him out of the hospital. For the obvious reason of not revealing his secret identity, both heroes had to get dressed when Virgil had been discharged. Robert and Sharon were to wait around the corner in the car to avoid suspicion.

Rubber band Man laughed at the teenager's enthusiasm and quickened his pace a little. "Fresh, polluted, un-sterilized air!"

"Don't forget, no more green jello." Rubber band Man added.

Static broke out into an even wider grin, if that was possible. "Definitely. From now on, red jello!" The two laughed until they reached the waiting van and quickly got Static in, wheelchair and all. As soon as they were away from the hospital, Virgil took off his mask and Adam morphed back into his street clothes.

Looking out the window, Virgil spotted a Burger Fool and couldn't help licking his lips. "Hey dad, I'm hungry. What do we have to eat at home?"

"For you, mashed potatoes." Virgil didn't even bother hiding a groan at the prospect of the exact same food that he had been fed at the hospital. "Oh, and some green jello, I remembered how much you love it." At those words, Virgil was near tears and Adam was trying to hide his laughter in the back seat, Sharon giving both a confused look.

* * *

"Richie, open the door!" Mr. Foley said, knocking on the bathroom door. He waited for a few seconds, but when no reply came, started banging the door again. "Richie, dinner's almost ready and I need to go."

He heard shuffling on the other side of the door. "Richie?"

"Hold on a sec." Was the mumbled reply. When nothing happened for another minute, Mr. Foley knocked on the door once more.

"Richard Foley open this door right now!" There was a mix of worry and anger when he talked, and he was very close to simply knocking down the door to get in. Richie had been in the bathroom for prolonged periods of time. With him depressed like that, both parents had feared the worst, and had even asked their son to show them his arms, which to their relief where scratch free. That didn't stop them from worrying though, it had in fact, fuelled their worry, because now they had no idea what he was doing.

The door flew open, a pale and agitated Richie stepping out and glaring at his father. "Happy?" Shoving his was past his father, Richie made his way to his room.

Worried eyes followed him, and with a sigh of defeat, Mr. Foley stepped into the bathroom and started his routine search, trying to find anything that might point him in the right direction in helping his son. Each time he had searched before he hadn't found anything, but this time as he examined the sink, something caught his attention. Looking closer he saw that it was a tiny droplet of blood.

Sighing, Mr. Foley wasn't sure what to do.

* * *

"I'll go talk to Virgil. What? Are you sure? Ok, Yes, I understand. I'll go ask him if he's up to it and call you back." Hanging up, Robert sighed. He had known that something was wrong, they all did, and this was the exact thing they feared most.

Making his way up the stairs, he knocked on Virgil's door and waited a few seconds for a reply. When none came, he opened the door and peeked in. Virgil was sleeping soundly, covers half off the bed. With a slight chuckle, Robert made his way in and sat down next to his son. He shook him slightly to wake him up and was rewarded with a hand swat and a grumble.

"Virgil, son, wake up."

"Sleep good. Waking up bad." He grumbled out. Unfortunately the effect was lost since he couldn't role over in bed. _Stupid bullet wound. _Virgil thought grudgingly.

"You think you're up for going to Richie's?"

Virgil was awake in an instant. Robert couldn't help another chuckle. "Yeah, of course. When?"

"Tonight, at seven. Now, you sure you're up for it?" He was more than a little concerned. Virgil had just been released from the hospital the other day, and as was recently proven, wasn't about to let his injury hold him back, a definite no-no.

"Yeah pops. I'm good. I'll stay in the wheelchair." Robert sighed in relief. "Most of the time." Virgil grinned and Robert shot him a disapproving look. "What? Their bathroom is on the second floor, what if I have to go?" Virgil stated, knowing he had won.

Robert shook his head in exasperation. "You're giving me grey hair." He grumbled.

"No pops, you're just getting old." Virgil laughed at his father's mock glare as he left the room.

"So…Why exactly are we going to Richie's?" Virgil asked when he was seated and ready to go a few hours later. He knew that his friend had been depressed lately, but he still hadn't been told exactly what was going on.

"We…it's a welcome home party." Robert hesitated before continuing. "And a chance for you and Richie to talk."

Virgil nodded from the backseat, knowing that that would be a part of it. He knew that it had to be done, that it was to help his best friend, but he was dreading it. He was scared about exactly what demons he'd find his friend hiding, and was worried about if he'd be able to help or not. While he was thinking, Robert pulled up near the house and parked the car.

"Alright, we're here." He said, turning off the car and making his way to open the door to the backseat to help Virgil out. They waited a few seconds outside the house after ringing the doorbell and were soon invited in and seated around a set up table, complete with tablecloth and bowls full of food.

Virgil looked around for Richie but didn't see him anywhere. "Mr. Foley, where's Richie?" He asked, leaning forward a little in his wheelchair.

"Upstairs in his room, let me go get him." He couldn't help the fleeting thought of, _at least, I hope that's where he is. _

"Oh, it's ok, I'll get him. I need to use the restroom anyway." Virgil grinned at his father, who simultaneous shook his head in exasperation. "It's ok dad, I've got enough juice to get me upstairs, and I don't even have to get up." His grin widened as Robert's face fell even more. _That boy's going to be the end of me._

Once he reached upstairs, Virgil took his moment of recovery to decide if he should get Richie first or go to the bathroom. His bladder won and he quietly rolled toward the door. He wasn't surprised when he found the door slightly ajar and moved to open it. The sight that greeted him was exactly what he had been dreading.

"Richie." Virgil gasped out, his eyes darting between his best friend's slightly shocked, but almost dead eyes, and razor in his hand.

* * *

Ok…maybe I should have held off on this for another chapter or to, but I think I've shoved enough filler chapters in your faces. I think we need to get going with the story line, and I simply can't hold it off anymore. Well, now that you've read, please review. It really helps encourage me to keep writing. Please and thank you! 


	22. Losing Track

Hey there everyone. Fast update huh? Aren't you proud? Haha. Anyway, before I continue on with the review responses and the story, I'd like to mention that there's a poorly hidden easter egg in this chapter for you DC comic fans. Whoever guesses gets…well…um…I'm not really sure. A request maybe. You name what you want when you review with the answer. But you can't just point it out, you have to say HOW said easter egg is from the DC universe.

**Kate Maxwell: **I fully intend on finishing this story…eventually…--'. My muse hasn't been very active lately. Glad that you're still reading and enjoying, thanks for the review!

**RealityBreakGirl: **YAY! Alert List! D Haha, sorry, but as you might have noticed, I don't get many reviews. Anyway…I want jello now…I'm gonna go ahead and blame you for that…Well, glad that you liked the last chapter, and I hope you like this one too! Thanks for reviewing!

**Trecebo: **Thanks, that means a lot. All support is really helpful. Thanks for the review!

**Dea puella: **Uumm…sorry? Well, I'm glad that you're enjoying the fic, and I hope you keep on reading and reviewing. Thanks for the review!

* * *

Chapter 22- Losing Track 

Total silence filled the hallway, neither boy moving, eyes locked. They stayed like that for a few never ending seconds before Richie finally broke the trance. Grabbing a towel and cloth, he set to work cleaning up the bathroom, ignoring Virgil's presence. Virgil didn't move, shock at his discovery rooting him to the spot. He didn't know what to say as he watched his best friend mop up his own blood from the sink. It was mesmerizing; such a strange and unfamiliar sight. It kept him staring, knowing that something should be said to this horrific scene but not having the slightest idea to what it should be. The fact that Richie was going on with the routine as if nothing had happened only added to the unreality of the whole thing.

Finally, Virgil's mouth started receiving the please from his shell shocked brain to say something; anything. "Richie." It was intended to come out demanding, the need for knowledge seeping out of the name. Instead, it came out soft; barely above a whisper, pleading for answers that maybe the owner of the name wasn't even sure of.

Richie paused for barely a second, his eyes losing focus, but then the blank look that had recently set in returned. He was almost done cleaning now, his wrist safely covered by bandages. In the back of his mind, Richie knew something was wrong; unfamiliar to this scene, something that didn't belong. He even knew what it was. His mind was screaming at him to stop what he was doing and acknowledge this new presence. Unfortunately, he had long ago stopped listening.

He continued on, grabbing something that looked vaguely like tan play-do. Virgil turned his attention to that as Richie pulled it over his forearm, the scars, bandages and blood instantly looking like it was never there. Virgil's eyes widened as realization dawned on just how far his friend had gone. How much thought and energy had gone into this self-hating act.

Once the material was in place, Richie looked up from his work and into his best friend's shocked face. The silence was even worse than it had been mere moments ago. "Why?" Virgil finally breathed out. What else could he possibly ask? Say? When Richie didn't say anything, and instead stood up and moved past Virgil and toward his room, the dark teen's shock and fear turned to anger. He wheeled himself in front of his friend, demanding that he stop and answer the question. "Why?" This time his voice did not betray him, his eyes glared daggers, and his grip on the wheels tightened.

Richie didn't even flinch, and instead grabbed the handles on Virgil's wheelchair and moved him into his room. Virgil was about to protest, but instead decided to see just where his friend was going with this. _What are you doing Richie? _

With the door closed safely behind them, Richie sat down on his bed facing Virgil, who was busy not taking his eyes off of Richie. Silence was becoming a standard exchange between the two; moments where they could both think about what was going to happen next.

"Richie, wha…" Virgil tried to speak but was cut off my Richie's quiet words.

"I'm sorry." The tone and the words didn't match up. The words, which were supposed to be apologetic, soft, and maybe even reassuring, were monotonous; emotionless without the slightest trace of sympathy.

Cocking an eyebrow, Virgil didn't like where this was going. "What are you sorry for Richie?"

Richie had to think about it. _What am I sorry for? _It only took one glance at the wheelchair. _I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I'm sorry I…_ "I was useless." Richie sighed depressively, his eyes on his hands, which were currently laced. His shoulder's slumped and his elbow's rested on his knees.

Tears filled Virgil's eyes. _Dear God, what's happened to you Richie. _"You saved my life. You couldn't have done anything else. I've told you that."

"Everyone's told me that. Doesn't make it true." Richie stated, his voice still low.

Virgil willed the tears away, forcing himself into a more demanding role. "You're going to tell your parents. Right now."

"No." His eyes never left his hands.

"I'll make you. They have a right to know."

"And how do you plan on making me?" Richie suddenly yelled, jumping up, anger burning in his eyes. "Are you going to take me by the wrist, pull me downstairs, and show them? Or zap me down there? Well you can't! You can barely get yourself down! And you know perfectly well why!" He slumped back onto the bed, taking up his previous posture. "Because I wasn't fast enough. Smart enough."

Virgil sat motionless, bewildered by what had just occurred. Taking a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart, which had skipped a beat before attempting a sprint toward the nearest exit, Virgil decided on a different approach.

"What's that?" He asked, motioning to the cover over Richie's arm.

Richie, having temporarily zoned out, jumped slightly when Virgil spoke. Looking at his arm, he studied it for a second; seemingly forgetting that he wasn't actually looking at his skin.

"Pseudoderm." He finally mumbled. The term sounded strange, and Virgil was sure he had never heard of it before.

"What?" He was confused to say the least. "Never mind. Did you create it?"

"Well…Sort of. I read about it. This," Richie pointed toward his arm, "isn't the real thing, just an amateur duplicate. If I had the real thing, I wouldn't need the bandages."

_That's it, I'm officially lost. _Virgil examined his friend for a second, noticing a slight change. _Well, at least he seems happier. Good. _

"Hey, I bet you're starving. I know I am. How about we go down to eat, and you can tell me all about what this pseu...stuff, is, alright?"

Richie contemplated this for a moment, decided that this seemed reasonable enough, nodded, and followed Virgil out of the room.

* * *

This chapter felt so…sloppy…--'. (sigh) o well, I did my best...wait...wow...that was just one long scene, wasn't it? damn. ill try to make the next one longer..by my muse isn't being very cooperative, so nugges and hints are happily accepted. 


	23. Tears from Heaven

Gosh, I'm SOOOOO sorry this took so long, but between school, football, homework, dragon boat, and, for five weeks, a dislocated shoulder, oh, and the obvious writers block, I've had neither the time nor the motivation to write. But, I finally sat down and promised myself to finish this chapter, which I hope you'll all be happy with.

Now, review replies

**RealityBreakGirl: **O wow, that's scary. I didn't even know what it meant. Well, we learn something new everyday. Well, I'm gonna go ahead and be lazy and say, if you want to know what it has to do with comics, read Elfangor87's review. And you know what? I didn't get any green jello TT And you know what else?...yea…I dunno either. Thanks for reviewing!

**Kate Maxwell: **Thanks for the ideas…Not really sure if I used them or not. (looks confused) Oh well, thanks for reviewing!

**Trecebo: **Thanks, I'm glad you liked how it was portrayed. I think your going to like how this chapter turns out. Thanks for reviewing!

**Elfangor87: **Woooow…You know more about it than I do. Then again, I don't read the Question comics. And, if you re-read the part about it in the last chapter, you'll see that he puts it over his bandages. I don't feel like dealing with infection . There's too much going on already. Well, thanks for reviewing!

**Goddess of Twilight: **( Nervous laugh) Um…soon…right…sorry about that. --'. Your wish is my command (you'll see what I'm talking about later….I think…) I think you'll like this chapter. Thanks for the review!

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Chapter 23-Tears from Heaven 

Virgil alternated between poking at his mashed potatoes and looking at Richie across the table. Occasionally, he took a bite of the all too familiar food, but between the now lost appeal of it and his new found knowledge of his best friend, he really wasn't in the mood for eating. He didn't know what to do. Of course his parents had a right to know, but what good would it do Richie to have it come out so suddenly? He'd simply find something new. No, there had to be a different way. A way to show Richie that this wasn't doing anyone any good.

"So, Richie, do you wanna go catch a movie or something tomorrow?" Virgil asked, trying desperately to start a conversation.

Richie, for his part, seemed to take the hint and looked up from his own meal. "Uh, well.." He looked at his parents, both of whose faces were shining with hope. "Yea, ok." That having been said, he went back to munching on his scraps of food.

* * *

Virgil twirled his straw in his milkshake as he waited for Richie to say something. They sat at a smile diner, having decided the night before that they didn't want to draw any attention by going to a more public place, like Burger Fool. He noticed that he'd been doing that a lot lately; messing with his food. Neither had known what to say, and now both had a quickly warming milkshake in front of them, both of which had only gotten a few sips out of them. Sighing, Virgil left his straw alone and looked at Richie, who was still busy swirling his own shake. 

"It wasn't your fault."

Without hesitation, the reply came. "Sure it was, you're just saying that to make me feel better."

"Why would I say something that wasn't true?" Virgil was determined to convince his friend that this was in no way his fault; he had been hoping that his second near death experience had been enough to push him out of this self-hatred, but apparently it had only fueled the fire.

This time he didn't have a ready answer. It sounded like a trick question. "You want me to stop cutting."

"Of course I do. You're hurting yourself." No reply. "Richie, you…"

"Can we go somewhere else?" Virgil was slightly taken aback; he wasn't sure of his friend's motives, but anything that would make Richie more comfortable was fine with him. The two teens quietly emptied out their pockets to pay the bill, leaving the two practically untouched shakes, before leaving the diner.

Richie pushed Virgil down the street, the two keeping a somewhat comfortable silence. Virgil was busy thinking, yet again, on how to talk to Richie, and convince him once and for all that this wasn't his fault. Then realization struck. He didn't have to. He just had to convince him to get help. There was no way that he could convince Richie; they were too close, and any help could be easily dismissed. But a professional; an outsider, could surely get through to the distraught teen. Someone who would understand more, and know how to take control of the situation. Grinning slightly, Virgil relaxed a little more into his chair, content with allowing Richie to guide him to where-ever it was that he wanted to go.

He was surprised when he found himself being pushed into a small park. It was nearly empty, with only a few couples walking near the pond and an old lady feeding pigeons. Virgil vaguely recognized this park as the place he and Richie had first met, but decided to brush it off as a simple coincidence.

Richie finally stopped near a huge tree; the same one the two used to climb around on when they were younger, and which had been the direct cause of a broken arm and leg. Looking up, Virgil let loose a grin.

"I think we've fallen off this tree more times then we've been thrown by super villains." He couldn't help but notice the tiny grin that seemed to magically appear on Richie's face, although just as suddenly as it had come, it was gone.

Richie sat down in the grass and leaned against the tree trunk. "It was never supposed to go this far." He sighed, and Virgil was surprised that he'd admit that. "It was only supposed to be a few cuts to…to make sure that I paid you back somehow."

Virgil hesitantly maneuvered himself out of his wheelchair with the use of his powers. Once he was sitting next to Richie, he put a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "Richie, you saved my life, I'm here now."

Another sigh. "I took too long."

Virgil shook his head. "That doesn't matter now. What matters is that we're both here."

"I lost you."

Virgil, for the first time, noticed that in general, Richie wouldn't look at him. Grabbing the other teen's face, he forced Richie to meet his gaze. "Look at me." Richie tried to squirm out of Virgil's grasp, but to no avail. You simply can't beat determination. "I'm here. You didn't lose me. You saved me."

"You stopped breathing." Richie was avoiding his eyes, making sure to look at the grass.

"You brought me back." Virgil jerked his hand slightly to keep Richie focused on him.

"I wouldn't have had to if…"

"If you hadn't been there I would have died!" The sudden anger in Virgil's voice shocked Richie into looking into his friend's eyes.

"You…"

"Richie, don't you think they would have shot me anyway?" His voice quieted. He was no longer planning. The real emotions needed to come out here and now.

"No…they…they...wouldn't…" Richie looked lost and uncertain. Would they have shot him? Would his presence have made any difference? Then a sudden thought of his own struck him. "Why didn't you stop the bullet?"

Virgil was taken aback by the question. It was something he himself had thought about in the countless hours he had spent alone in his hospital bed. "I was scared." Virgil's hand dropped from his friend's face, knowing now that he was paying attention. "I didn't react fast enough. Don't you get it Rich? You couldn't have done anything differently. You couldn't learn something that you practically never heard of, and it's not like you could have stepped in front of the bullet. Sure, you weren't fast enough, but what would have happened if you weren't there?"

Richie thought about this, but Virgil answered for him. "I would have died. Those robbers would have shot me and kept on trying to crack the password. Who knows how long that would have taken them?" Virgil paused. "You have to stop blaming yourself. You're my best friend, and right now, you're scaring me. You're hurting yourself Richie, and I'm scared that you're not going to stop. I'm scared that you won't stop until you kill yourself. Is that what you want? You want to die because of me? Then it would be my fault. It would be my fault that you'd died." Virgil sighed, not sure what else to say. He looked at his friend, pleading him to provide some sort of answer.

Richie's eyes grew wide, conveying millions of emotions at once. He was so lost, so scared. Tears welled up and he choked back a sob. "I…" He slumped forward into Virgil's arms. "Help me, please." Richie pleaded, his tears rolling down his cheeks and onto Virgil's shoulder. Virgil grabbed onto his best friend, holding him to reassure him that he was there, and would stay there; he wasn't going anywhere.

"I'm right here Rich. I'm going to help you through this, I promise."

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Well then, it might be a little rushed, but honestly, what more could I possibly delay with? Arn't you all just amazed at just how many corny titles I can come up with? Golly gee wilickers, I should have 'Holy cutting and going to a therapist Batman!'. lol. Well, as always, reviews are appriciated! D 


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